Say My Name
by NinjaRisa
Summary: Something terrible happens to Korra … and Mako blames himself for it. Makorra.
1. Chapter 1

_I wish to take up this space and say, "Thank you everyone who read, reviewed, and favorited my other stories: Friendship, Jealousy, and Onesided Love; Dinner with a Side a Jealousy; and Being You for a Day. I am truly grateful. XD" Okay, I'm done._

_**Summary: **__Something terrible happens to Korra … and Mako blames himself for it. Makorra._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Legend of Korra, and never will. I just own my laptop and my imagination._

_Constructive criticism is encouraged. :) Enjoy!_

* * *

**Say My Name  
**

"Please wake up, Korra," Mako mumbled somberly, his hand on hers, rubbing the back of the young Avatar's hand with his thumb. He had pulled up a chair to her bed, watching her sleep, hoping that she'd finally open her eyes. Korra was laying in a hospital bed, wearing hospital clothes, her brown hair out of her ties, and was quietly sleeping. She had been laying in this same hospital bed for 2 weeks, having been in a coma all this time. All Mako did was stay by her side, which was all he _could_ do, watching the girl's chest and stomach move up and down as she breathed slowly.

Korra had this room specifically for herself, the only other bed in the room completely empty. The nurses had opened the window above her bed several minutes ago to cool down the room a bit and let in some air. There was a nice cool breeze outside that would move the girl's bangs as well as Mako's hair and his scarf.

The news of the Avatar spread quickly throughout Republic City, its citizens shocked and sad at her condition. For days on end, her room would receive new get-well gifts, such as flowers and cards from little children who adored her.

Tenzin and his family would visit whenever they could, as well as Bolin and Asami who were also deeply saddened by the news. Mako had visited Korra every single day since the incident without fail, not only because of worry … but of guilt.

"Please wake up," he repeated in a whisper. He didn't turn and kept his focus on Korra's face when he heard the door slide open and slow footsteps approaching him from behind. Mako felt a kind, warm hand rest on his shoulder, and a friendly, low voice said, "Visiting hours are over, son."

Mako sighed and hesitantly got up from his chair, leaning over the bed to kiss his girlfriend on the forehead, brushing the bangs away from her face. He turned around to face the doctor. The doctor was rather short in stature, wearing a long white coat as well as white pants. He was a middle-aged man, exhibiting a kind face with little facial hair, his hair prematurely grey from stress from having to work at a hospital that demands his full attention and having to work with patients for days on end.

"She's in good hands, son," the doctor reassured. "You don't look so great yourself. Maybe you should rest - skip tomorrow or something. We don't need _you_ in the hospital, do we?" he half-joked.

Mako smiled slightly at this, but his face returned to a frown as he glanced back at Korra.

"She'll be okay. Go home and rest."

Mako silently nodded at the man and walked towards the door, stealing one last glance at Korra as he stopped in the doorway, then closed the door behind him and headed for home.

_How could I let it happen? It's all my fault,_ he thought to himself, guilt eating him alive. His mind had returned to two weeks ago - the day of the incident.

* * *

[Flashback]

"I'm bored," Korra groaned, plopping on the brothers' couch next to Mako who was trying to read his newspaper in peace. Bolin was nowhere to be found. Mako had explained to her that Bolin had gone to Narook's to eat some lunch.

Mako glanced over his newspaper to look at Korra and responded, "Well, what were you expecting? A party?" and he went back to his paper.

Korra pouted and said, "No, but you're just as boring as Tenzin." Mako grunted, half-listening.

Korra had snuck off Air Temple Island half an hour ago to escape airbending training, laughing to herself, imagining Tenzin's face exploding. She swam to the rebuilt Probending Arena to go to her boyfriend's and his little brother's attic to hang out with them. At first, the firebender was reluctant to let her in, knowing that Tenzin would be furious if he found out that Mako had helped her skip her training. Korra gave her best pouty, puppy-dog face and Mako sighed, letting her in, aware that all of this would somehow come back to bite him on the butt.

"What do you want me to do?" Mako asked, uninterested, his attention still on the paper in his hands. "Should I wear a clown suit and dance in front of you?" he suggested sarcastically.

"Would you?" she jumped up excitedly.

"NO," he immediately replied, and she glared at him, jutting out her lip, slouching back on the couch feeling defeated.

She and Mako sat there in complete silence, Korra sighing deeply from time to time, shifting her position numerous times.

"Korra, I love you, but you're seriously driving me nuts right now."

"But I'm so boooorrred …" she groaned yet again, and Mako sighed, changing the page. Suddenly an idea popped up in her noggin, and she shot up from the sofa, facing Mako with her hands on her hips, a grin decorating her pretty face.

"Let's spar!" she proposed. Mako glanced up at her, a look on his face that read, "You're kidding right?" and he looked back down at the newspaper. She snatched the object out of his hand and tucked it between her pants and the fur tied around her hips.

"Hey! Korra, I was reading that!"

"Well, now you're doing something else," and she grabbed his arm, dragging him to the gym downstairs.

She finally let go of his arm, leaving him gasping for air as they arrived at the gym.

_She runs as fast as an airbender,_ he thought. _I could barely keep up behind her._

"Okay, let's do this!" she shouted confidently in front of him, getting in a fighting position.

"Korra, I didn't agree to this," he said. "Just give it back to me," and he held out his hand. "I was looking at the Wanted ads."

"Heh. You'll have to fight me for it," she taunted.

"I'm _not_ fighting you, Korra."

Korra, losing patience with her boyfriend, took out the newspaper and held it out in front of her. He went to take it but she jerked it back, holding a flame underneath the paper.

"What're you doing?" he demanded angrily.

"Provoking you," she replied with a mischievous grin, and he glared at her. "And it looks like it's working. Fight me, _fire boy."_ And he almost blew a gasket as the object in her hand turned to ash. Mako was now completely ticked, and when a blast of fire came out of his fists towards the Avatar, Korra grinned in accomplishment. She dodged every one of his attacks, throwing a fist of fire when possible. She began taunting him, laughing as she did, which made Mako's anger skyrocket.

"C'mon, Mako! I thought you were _stronger_ than that? Can't beat a girl?" she panted.

"Do you ever stop talking?" he shouted angrily.

"Nope," she laughed, an evil glint in her eyes.

"Then hopefully _this_ will shut you up for good!" and he released one of his most powerful fire attacks at Korra. She tried to dodge it but couldn't, and it knocked her off her feet, flying backwards towards the wall. Her back and head slammed against the wall of the gym, and she fell forwards, her head violently meeting the ground, and Mako could've sworn he heard a crack.

His anger completely dissipated as he saw Korra laying there, practically lifeless before him, and his entire world stopped. He ran over to her as fast as he could, picking her up, yet she didn't flinch.

"K-Korra?" his voice strained.

Bolin had rushed in, hearing the loud noise, and saw his brother holding up Korra's head with his hand.

"Mako? Wha -"

"Ambulance," Mako ordered. "Call an ambulance!" Bolin didn't need to be told twice, and was already running to the nearest telephone.

"C'mon, Korra. Stay with me," his voice shakily whispered. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault," he began crying. "It's all my fault. It's all my fault," he repeated, over and over again, his voice drowning in sobs. And he moved her closer to his chest, examining the red staining his shaky fingers through his misty, amber eyes.

[End of Flashback]

* * *

Mako did as the doctor instructed and stayed home the next day. However, he really had to restrain himself from leaving to go to the hospital to see Korra, or to even worry and think about her every second. Every day since the incident he couldn't sleep. It was the same nightmare every time he slept, and he always woke up sweating and with tears in his eyes.

Bolin was glad to hear that his brother had remained at home, resting, because frankly, the young earthbender was starting to get worried about his brother's health. Mako hadn't been eating much lately - in fact, he would skip some meals, or not eat anything for the entire day. Sometimes Mako would neglect to bathe, but his little brother would stop him and force him to take a shower before leaving to go to the hospital.

At the moment, the firebender didn't know what to do with himself. He had cooked Bolin and himself some breakfast, and Bolin had already left to go see Korra, leaving Mako all by himself in the attic. Bolin would always pick up the newspaper and bring it in because he knew Mako liked to read them. But for two weeks Mako couldn't look at any newspaper without remembering what he did to the love of his life, almost killing her over something trivial like burning his paper. She had annoyed him that day and purposefully provoked him, taunting and laughing at him, but what he did was inexcusable. He had almost killed her. He overreacted, all over a stupid newspaper. Would she ever forgive him? Would she hate him? Will he ever hear her voice again?

_"Then hopefully _this_ will shut you up for good!" _He remembered screaming that before he shot her, and absolutely regretted it.

All of a sudden, he heard footsteps running hurriedly up the stairs. Immediately, he knew who it was.

"Bo? What's wrong?" Mako asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bolin was panting, trying to catch his breath, bending over and resting his palms on his bended knees. "M-Mako. B-bro. Sh-she's - Korra's -" and he gasped for air.

Mako's heart stopped at the mention of her name. "What about Korra?" Mako impatiently inquired. "Is she okay?"

After several seconds, Bolin replied, "Yeah. She's awake, b-but -" And Mako had already flown down the stairs before Bolin could finish.

_She's awake!_ Mako kept screaming in his head as he made his way to the hospital.

* * *

Mako ran as fast as his legs could take him, ignoring the nurses who told him to slow down. At the front desk he learned that Tenzin and his family, including Katara and Asami had already visited Korra and had all left about an hour prior to his arrival. He ran to her room, his heart beating hard in his chest. He hesitated to open the door, all kinds of thoughts running through his head, nervous to see his beloved again. When he walked in, the only persons he saw were the doctor and Korra. Bolin was right - she _was_ awake!

At first, he couldn't look her in the eyes. Guilt still consumed him. But when he locked eyes with hers she smiled, and he sighed in relief.

"So, you're here today, are ya?" the doctor smiled, partially laughing. "Your brother sent you the news, huh?" Mako nodded and smiled, trying to keep in his excitement, and walked over to Korra's bed.

"So, Korra. How're you feeling?" Mako asked, sitting down on a chair next to her. She shrugged and then made a so-so sign with her hand.

"Is your head okay?" She felt the back of her head and winced slightly, but nodded and smiled. He then gave her a questioning look, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you still mad at me? I'd understand if you would be, but normally you would've said someth -"

"Did your brother not tell you?" the doctor frowned sadly, cutting him short. Mako stared at the doctor and then slowly stood back up, wondering what the old man was talking about.

"T-tell me what?" he stuttered. From the way the doc sounded, Mako didn't really want to know, more likely, he was _scared_. He remembered running down the stairs in his apartment not too long ago, cutting off what his brother was trying to tell him, but was so happy to hear that Korra had finally woken up that he didn't care what else Bolin had to say. Now he wished he had stopped to listen.

"Son, I'm afraid that …" The doctor sighed before continuing and looked deep into the firebender's eyes that were so full of fear and anxiety. Mako stared back at the old man's eyes, those eyes now filled with sympathy … and lack of optimism and comfort.

"I'm afraid your young friend here … is mute."

* * *

_**A/N: **__Talk about a cliffhanger, huh? __So, this is the end of chapter one of this short story I concocted in my head today. This was hard to write because I prefer Humor genres, but how was it? (By the way, I listed this as Angst, but is Hurt/Comfort a more appropriate genre?) Also, I win the "Lamest Title in the World" Award!_

_Please review and tell me what you think. :) Or favorite it and/or follow it- either one makes me happy. X)_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Previously on "Say My Name":**_

_The Avatar nearly dies when Mako attacks her in the Probending gym, leaving him feeling guilty and depressed. After two weeks of being in a coma, Korra finally wakes up. But Mako learns that she can no longer speak …_

* * *

"I'm afraid your young friend here … is mute," the doctor had told him. This replayed in Mako's mind like a broken record, the words "is mute" echoing over and over in his skull. Time froze and his heart stopped in his chest, his eyes wide in complete shock and horror, his face drained of color. Had he heard right? Korra, the girl he loved deeply and dearly, could no longer speak? And it was all his fault, he just knew it. The guilt within him was now devouring his mind, his heart, and his soul.

"M-m-mu-mute?" Mako stammered in a whisper to make sure he hadn't heard wrong. The doctor gravely nodded, and Korra's face saddened and her head looked down at her folded hands in her lap.

"How?" he questioned the doctor. "Why can't she speak?" he asked, holding back his tears.

"Well," the doctor began with a sigh, "in this day and age, we don't really have enough research on the study of the human mind. However, we _do_ know some things." He paused, rubbing his thumb and his forefinger across his chin, trying to recall these "things" he just mentioned. "I'll try to explain this as simple as possible." Mako nodded and waited for his explanation. The old man had seated himself on a chair, tired of standing for so long, and motioned Mako to do the same.

"Now, I want both of you to listen," the doctor resumed, folding a leg over the other, "since I have yet to tell _you_ this, Avatar Korra." He glanced quickly at her who nodded in acknowledgment. "There is an area in the brain, called 'Broca's area', located usually on the left side of your brain. This region of the brain is believed to be linked to language production, as well as language comprehension. When damaged, it may affect your speaking pattern, as well as your understanding of the language you speak." He turned to Korra and continued. "You, my dear, had received extreme damage to this area, but it doesn't seem like your understanding of the language has changed. I had you write for me earlier (if you remember) and you could spell just fine. And you can obviously understand what I'm saying to you now." Korra nodded in understanding.

"But I don't exactly understand why she can't speak," Mako said.

The doctor leaned back in his chair that creaked as he did so, and explained, "The area I mentioned earlier - Broca's area - controls the muscles of your lips, your jaws, as well as your vocal cords. Sadly, when this area is damaged, all muscle memory of your mouth is lost, as well as how to create sounds of words."

Mako, his throat now dry, gulped nervously, "So, in other words …"

"In other words," the doctor repeated slowly, "it'd be like teaching a baby how to speak." The couple's hearts sunk to the floor; the firebender's body turned completely numb; the Avatar wasn't sure what to feel.

Suddenly, the door of the room slid open, and a nurse poked her head in, saying, "Doctor, you have a patient waiting," and she closed the door. The old man stood up and walked towards Mako, setting his kind, warm hand on his shoulder, giving it a short squeeze, and said with a sincere, apologetic look on his face, "I'm sorry. Both of you." And he walked out.

Mako sat there in that chair without moving, without saying a word, his eyes and face completely blank. _What have I done?_ he cried within himself. He didn't want to look at Korra, knowing what his actions had done to her. He cursed himself for living on this earth; he wanted to be struck by lightning and die, right then and there. And then a thought hit him. How had he looked when he struck her? Was his face the face of a killer? Did his face resemble … his parents' murderer? Thinking about it now, he should be in jail for what he did to her. She would never forgive him. Never. And he wouldn't blame her for it … because _he_ was to blame.

* * *

Korra had reclined back on the hospital bed, feeling empty and hollow inside when her doctor revealed the bad news. She had mixed emotions, as if someone threw them all in a blender and pressed puree. Her head still hurt terribly and she could feel her heart beat dangerously slow in her chest, her breathing coming out irregularly. For the longest time, she stared at the wrinkles on her bed sheet that was covering her legs, her brain void of thoughts. She was disoriented, depressed, and shocked. She inhaled deeply and faltered to look at her boyfriend who was seated to the right of her bedside.

Mako's face was dark, his eyes staring mindlessly at the wall, miles far and away from here. His eyes were half-lidded, rarely blinking, and he looked dead, just sitting motionless in his chair, devoid of life.

Korra wanted to call his name, to wake him out of this zombie-like trance, but when she opened her mouth, her lips couldn't form the word, and no sound came out. She truly forgot how to speak, and a tear ran down her cheek, but she quickly rubbed it away with the back of her long sleeve. Mako heard her move slightly, and he went to look at her, but when their eyes met he turned his face away as soon as he saw her. He didn't want to look at her now, and he believed that she likewise didn't want to look at him either.

_She hates me,_ he thought. _I don't deserve to live._ And each thought after that became more and more negative, inwardly hating himself, chastising himself mentally. _She _won't_ forgive me. She _can't _forgive me. She'll _never_ forgive me._

He then heard three soft thumps. It was Korra. She was lightly patting her bed with her right hand, signaling Mako to sit there next to her. He didn't directly look at her, avoiding the gaze of her beautiful blue eyes. After a moment he sighed and sat there beside her, but his back was completely faced towards her, sitting near the head board of her bed. Mako sat there quiet for several minutes, and neither stirred in the silence exchanged between them. The firebender restrained the tears and feelings he kept bottled inside, struggling to be as cool as a cucumber. He didn't want Korra to see him like this. Then, he couldn't hold it in anymore; he couldn't fight it, and everything burst forth, coming out all at once.

She saw Mako's tall frame bend down forwards, his body shaking. His head was buried in his hands, his tears flowing out of his eyes like a waterfall, trying his best to hold back his choking sobs. He hadn't cried like this since the death of his parents that fateful night years ago. Back then, he had cursed the firebender who took his parents from him, swearing he'd kill the man if he ever crossed paths with him again. However, this time, the only one he could curse … was himself.

Korra had never seen him like this before: so broken-hearted, depressed, sad, and crying. She wanted to touch him, to tell him that it's not the end of the world; that everything would be okay - though she knew that those words weren't wholly true. But she bit her lip back, knowing that no matter how hard she'd try, nothing would come out. She couldn't comfort him with words, so instead she lifted herself up, and hugged him.

Mako let out a sharp gasp as he felt Korra's arms wrap tightly around his waist. She squeezed even tighter to try to get the message across: to stop crying and that she's fine. He lifted his head from his hands, wiping the tears that kept on flowing. He then felt her breath and hot tears seeping through the back of his clothes, feeling her shake as she cried silently into his back.

"K-K-Kor-r-ra?" he stammered, his voice hiccuping from crying so much. He sniffed up some snot and wiped his nose. "I-I'm s-s-sor -" and he choked and paused. He took in a deep breath to compose himself and continued, "I-I'm s-sorry. I'd u-understand if y-you'd h-hate me now." He could feel her shake her head "no". "What? Aren't y-you angry with me?" She violently shook her head "no" again.

"Are you cr-crazy?" he half-shouted angrily. "I almost lost you, K-Korra I almost …" and his tears started to return, his eyes becoming blurry yet again. "I. Almost. K-killed you."

She released her grip around his stomach and moved to the left of her bed, her feet hanging off its side. She planted her right foot down then her left, and carefully began walking to the other side of the bed to face Mako. She wobbled as she walked, however, and almost fell over due to the fact that she hadn't walked on her feet for two weeks.

"Korra? What are you doing?" he gasped in horror as she walked over to him. "You shouldn't be walking!"

She rested her hands on her hips, a lip jutting forward from her mouth.

"Get back in your bed!" he ordered. She pointed her face up to the side, pouting, avoiding his eyes, acting like a defiant child. He went to stand up, but she gently seated him back on the bed, pushing down on his left shoulder. He sat there wondering what was going through her mind, wondering if the hard impact on her head had affected her sense of reasoning. But he immediately remembered that this was Korra he was talking about. Korra: the girl who hated taking orders from anyone, who always wanted to do her own thing, acting on impulse, and was quite impatient. She always wanted to prove that she could accomplish things; that she could do things for herself.

He examined the Avatar in front of him. She stood there proudly, hands on her hips, and a silly grin on her face. He understood.

"'I'm fine.' Is that what you're trying to tell me?" She simply nodded in response.

"And you're not mad at me? Because you have _every right_ to be. It's all my fau -" she put her hand over his mouth, shaking her head, and gave him a sad smile. She removed her hand and went to stand up straight again, but lost her balance as her knees were giving out, and Mako was able to catch her. He took her into his arms and sat back down, seating her sideways on his left leg, her own legs hanging off the side of his right thigh. She stared into his eyes and moved towards his face to peck him on the lips. When she pulled back, she smiled sweetly at him and gently combed his unkempt hair.

He smiled back at her and said, "I don't deserve your love and forgiveness, y'know." She shrugged and smirked at his response, resting her head against him, and she could feel the gentle rumbling in his chest as he chuckled.

He ran his hand through her dark brown hair that was no longer in ties, and whispered, "I'll teach you. I'll teach you how to speak again. So that I can hear your voice. So that I can hear you say my name."

* * *

_**A/N: **__It looks like the end, huh? Well, it's not. :P There's still a lot more to write, a lot more angst that I have planned in my twisted head of mine, and I will update as soon as I possibly can. Oh, and I apologize that this chapter was so short! I'll try to make the next one longer. By the way, her condition is a real one (and a pretty sad one too), so I didn't just make this up. *laughs* Wait … I shouldn't be laughing … -_-' So, how was it? Was it Angsty?_

_Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it - I appreciate either one. :)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Previously on "Say My Name":**

_After learning Korra was mute, the doctor explained the direct cause: a certain area in her brain was severely damaged, making her lose the ability to talk. Knowing that this was unfortunately his doing, Mako takes it upon himself to reteach Korra how to speak …_

* * *

"Ok, let's try it again," the firebender said. He turned to face Korra and she nodded her head with confidence. "Let's start with colors. Now, pay close attention to my mouth," he instructed. Korra and Mako were now directly facing each other, and he had handed Korra a small mirror that Pema had let them borrow for this exercise. They were sitting at the dinner table in Tenzin's home, that is, Air Temple Island, alone in the room with no one else to distract them - especially young, energetic airbender children.

"Blue," he began slowly. "Buh. Loo. Blllluuuueeee," he enunciated even slower so that Korra could easily mimic the movements of his lips. She followed what he did the best she could, but her mouth twitched and moved strangely as she tried. Sound still wasn't coming out of her mouth, but at the moment all Mako wanted was for her to form the word.

"Good, but don't tuck your lips in as much when you say the 'buh' part," he corrected. "Look at the mirror and watch your mouth closely." Her attention went to the mirror in her hand, attempting to mouth the word "blue". She kept repeating the word at different speeds, but Mako had told her to take it slow, aware that this girl wasn't the patient kind.

"You're getting there," Mako encouraged with a soft smile. However, to Korra it wasn't perfect. "Getting there" wasn't good enough, and she was frustrated that this simple word was so hard to say. Ever since she was released from the hospital, she hadn't been able to say one single word. At first, when Mako had begun Korra's speech therapy, she was gung-ho about it, telling herself that she'd be speaking in no time. But now, whenever she would have this therapy session with Mako, her patience would wear thin after several minutes, feeling frustrated that she wasn't really making much progress. But she held back these thoughts, knowing that her boyfriend was making it an effort to come to the island whenever he could to help her regain her speaking ability. She knew how guilty Mako felt, and this was his way of possibly fixing what he had done wrong - although, what he did would never be forgotten. She had always smiled though, realizing how much he loved her, and how sorry he truly was. She knew that he was mainly doing this out of guilt, but he really wanted to do this; he loved her with all his heart, and she was happy.

Mako still couldn't believe that Korra forgave him after the treacherous thing he did to her. But, she always reassured him not to worry about it and that she's still alive and well.

Tenzin and his family walked through the doorway, his children - mainly Meelo and Ikki - coming in noisily as they entered the eating area.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Pema apologized, "but it's time for dinner." She was holding Rohan in her arms and handed him to Tenzin so that she could get the food from the kitchen and set the food on the table. "Jinora, sweetie, could you help?"

"Sure, Mom," Jinora replied, setting the book in her hands on the table.

"Well, looks like that's my cue. I better leave," Mako said, getting up on his feet. Korra grabbed his arm as he was standing half-way, and shook her head at him. He looked down at her and asked, "What's wrong?" trying to read the message in her eyes.

"She wants you to stay and eat with us," Ikki smiled, speaking at a fast rate, and Korra nodded.

Mako let out a small sigh. "I really shouldn't," he said, taking down the offer, and Korra frowned. "I should probably head home." Korra let go of his arm as he stood up straight, disappointed that he didn't want to stay for dinner. She had remembered Bolin mentioning to her recently that Mako wasn't eating healthily, and definitely wasn't eating as much as he should because he was so worried about Korra's well-being and turned all his focus on teaching her to speak again, causing him to forget to eat at times. She had noticed that he was a bit thinner than usual and slightly pale, and she was becoming fearful that he may waste away due to his worry of her.

"It's fine, dear," Pema said, coming from the kitchen. She set two plates of dumplings in the middle of the table and continued. "We don't mind having you here for dinner. We never turn away a guest," she smiled.

He began to protest, "W-well, I'm not really hungr-" and he stopped as his stomach betrayed him, and there was a short awkward silence. Everyone turned to stare at him, especially Korra who raised an eyebrow at him playfully and grinned, her face clearly mocking, "_Not hungry_, huh?". He turned his face away in embarrassment and grumbled as he sat back down, "Fine. I'll stay."

* * *

Dinner was going well, and Mako didn't feel the least bit awkward. He was actually enjoying himself - something he hadn't been able to do since the unfortunate incident. At the moment, he was watching Korra with a smile as she was laughing. The only time he could ever hear her voice was when she opened her mouth to laugh. To him, she sounded like an angel, and his heart would flutter whenever she giggled. He was glad that she was still able to laugh. But he knew … he knew that deep down inside her she was depressed, sad, broken. However, she would never admit it. Not to him.

Sometimes he would come early to teach Korra before she had to train for airbending with Tenzin. There were days that she would meet him early in the morning, and he would notice her eyes were red, puffy, and swollen. The first and only time he asked her about it, she shook her head and waved her hand as a way to tell him that it was nothing, and she completely dismissed the matter. He wasn't convinced that it was nothing, but he held his tongue and never asked her again. One day, he had arrived especially early, surprised that she had slept in pretty late. When he walked into her room to wake her, he saw her sobbing, crying silently in her sleep. She had curled herself up in a ball, clenching the blanket with her hands, quietly whimpering and shifting in her sleep. That's when he knew - inside, she was suffering. What could the world do with a silent Avatar? The Avatar was the voice of the people, the voice of encouragement and peace. But he took that all away from her in one fell swoop. Teaching her how to speak again now became his responsibility, a promise, a duty to hear her voice. Funny, that this young man was now responsible for the one person who's sole duty was to the world. He vowed to accomplish this goal, no matter what happened to him.

* * *

"Wanna go on a date?" Korra's note said. Mako and Korra were in the middle of a therapy session a week after he was invited to eat dinner at the island. She held up the note in his face happily, but when he took the note and read it out loud, he frowned.

"I don't know, Korra. We probably shouldn't." Her smile turned into a pout. "And we're sorta in the middle of something here," he replied looking straight into her eyes. She folded her arms in annoyance and narrowed her eyes at him.

"C'mon, Korra. Don't act like that. Let's talk about this later. This time we're going to start w -" Her hand flew to his mouth and she shook her head at him, acting like a rebellious child. He removed her hand from his face and sighed.

"Korra," he began slowly, trying not to get upset. "Don't you want to do this? The quicker we do this, the faster you'll be able to talk." She tilted her head sideways, looking at the ground sadly, comprehending what he meant. She took the piece of paper from his hand and set it on the table, and he leaned towards her, watching her write, "We should take a break. _You_ need a break."

"I-I'm not -" and he stopped when she began writing again.

"PLEASE?" her note begged. He stared deeply into her crystal, blue eyes full of desperation and hope, studying her face that was now making the cutest pouty face that he normally could never resist. He groaned within himself, rubbing a hand through his hair and exasperating a sigh, and gave in.

"Alright, Korra," he reluctantly agreed, and she pulled him into a tight hug that made him short of breath. When Korra finally let go, she beamed the brightest smile, a slight blush on her cheeks, and he couldn't help but smile as well.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked. She tapped her cheek with her index finger, thinking, then wrote down, "Anywhere's fine. Let's just walk around town," she suggested, and he agreed without a complaint.

"When?" was his next question, and she pointed her finger straight down. "Today?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Probably not today. How about tomorrow?" And she nodded excitedly, her hair bouncing around in her hair ties. He couldn't help but laugh as he saw her overly ecstatic face, the face he would never be tired of looking at. He pulled her closer to him, Korra now leaning on his side.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear, and kissed the top of her head. She achingly wanted to tell him that she loved him too, but knowing that she couldn't talk, she lifted up his hand, and turned it around so that his palm was facing up. She repeatedly drew a heart-shape on his hand, and he immediately got the message, his heart beating hard in unison with hers.

* * *

Mako had woken up early the next day to take a well overdue shower, and blushed, wondering if he had smelled this bad yesterday when he was teaching Korra. He hurried outside after getting dressed and making him and Bolin breakfast, saying goodbye to the young earthbender, and made his way to the ferry. The ferry wasn't going to arrive for another ten minutes, so Mako waited there patiently, leaning against the railing of the pier, digging his hands in his pockets and shutting his eyes, feeling the cool morning breeze and listening to the light waves, smelling the bitter scent of salt water. After a several minutes, someone had approached him, and his eyes shot open at the sound of his name. But he tensed slightly when he recognized the voice.

"Chief Beifong?" Mako confirmed. He pulled his hands out of his pockets, and pushed himself off the rail, walking a bit towards the woman. He was afraid to look into her steely green eyes, those eyes so serious and and without much of a flicker of emotion. He was afraid to look directly at her now, and her presence was exceedingly uncomfortable for him. Out of all the people in Team Avatar, he had avoided the chief of police as well as avoided telling her at all costs what he had done to the Avatar. Bolin, Asami, and Tenzin were the only ones besides Mako and Korra who knew what truly happened - that Mako had almost murdered the Avatar out of anger. He knew that if Chief Beifong learned what he had done, she'd have to throw him in prison for his crime, whether it was an accident or not; whether she knew him or not. A crime was a crime, and one had to be responsible for his own actions.

She was standing in from of him in full uniform, a hand on her hip, staring him down. She could feel his inward tension and could sense his anxiety and fear. Mako hadn't known, but Lin was fully aware of Mako's wrongdoing. When Lin finally had the time to visit the young Avatar, she had walked into Korra's hospital room, seeing Mako sitting at her bedside. He didn't stir when she drew closer to the two, and when her eyes eventually met the firebender's, she saw it all. Pain, self-anger, depression, regret - she was familiar with it all; none of it was new to her. His eyes were those of a guilty soul.

Being on the Police Force, Lin had encountered all kinds of felons, criminals, psychopaths, and wrongdoers. She's seen the looks in their eyes: the cold, distant dark stares; the insane, unforgiving stares; the untrustworthy, lying stares; the guilty, regretful stares; and the list goes on. She's seen them all. Just one glance at Mako, and she knew - the truth was practically bleeding from his eyes. But at that time, she had said nothing. And even now, she will say nothing of the matter. She sympathized with him and even felt a bit of empathy. She had inwardly decided that she would do nothing to him, to just let him go this one time. She wondered if she was getting soft in her old age.

"How is she?" she asked, sounding concerned.

"Korra's fine," he answered. "She hasn't said anything yet, but she's making _some_ progress."

"That's good to hear," was her simple reply. "I haven't seen her since my last visit with her at the hospital a few weeks ago. I happened to see you from the distance and came to ask how she was doing."

"I see," he replied, and put his hands back in his pockets.

A short awkward pause.

"I'm guessing you're going to see her now?" she asked.

He nodded and said, "Yeah. She wanted to go out with me today," and he shook his head as he shrugged with a smile. "She wanted to take a break from everything, and suggested I take one too."

"Wise decision. You look exhausted. You're young; take better care of yourself," she told him sternly, a tinge of concern in her voice.

"I'll keep that in mind."

The ferry had finally arrived, much to Mako's relief.

"Well, it looks like the ferry's here. I'll take my leave," he told her with a short wave, and she nodded. As he was walking away, she said, "Take good care of her." He stopped to look sideways, his orange eyes locked with hers, and he replied, "Of course," and he made his way to the boat.

By the end of today, Mako had wished he took the Chief's words to heart.

* * *

_**A/N: **__Another cliffhanger! I'm so cruel, I know! :P The last couple of chapters are going to be super Angsty, and I'm planning on either 5 or 6 chapters. So, how was chapter 3? (By the way, I want to thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following my story. I'm truly shocked that this many people like it. XD I love reading all your reviews!) I may not update till next week, just letting you know in advance._

_Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it - either one makes me happy. :) _


	4. Chapter 4

_**Previously on "Say My Name":**_

_Mako had been teaching Korra how to speak again, and very slowly she has progressed, though she has yet to say a single word. Korra asks Mako out on a date, and they agree to go out the very next day. Will it end well?_

* * *

Five minutes prior to the time the couple agreed to meet for their date, Korra had asked Jinora to teach her how to say a certain word - a certain _name,_ in fact. Jinora was happy to oblige, especially when she knew what word Korra desperately wanted to learn to say. They had been doing this for several days, though not consistently day after day. Jinora would teach her whenever she could, and Korra appreciated that this young girl would help her with this small request.

"Open your mouth wide like this," Jinora instructed, opening her mouth. "Maaaa …" and Korra mimicked her the best she could. "Good. Now say, 'Ko'. Kooooo … Good! Now say 'Mako'. Great!You're improving," the ten year-old smiled encouragingly. Korra fist-pumped the air as a sign of accomplishment.

"Your mouth is almost perfect. All that you need to learn next is the sound, and you'll be saying his name in no time."

Out of all the words she was relearning, the first word that she wanted to come out of her mouth was, "Mako". She tried to get more practice with Jinora than Mako so that she would surprise him one day, knowing that he'd be so happy once she could say his name again. She would practice every night before bed in front of a mirror, saying "Mako" over and over until it was the most natural thing in the world to say. She would try to say the sounds of his name, but it only came out as something incoherent that sounded nothing like "Mako". But she never gave up, and of all things she's ever tried to be patient with, this was the first she was ever dedicated to patiently learn.

"Do you want to do it again?" Jinora suggested. Korra nodded her head. They continued doing this for several more minutes, until Pema came by and asked with a surprised face, "Korra? You're still here? I thought you had mentioned that you were meeting Mako today." Korra jumped up with wide eyes, remembering that she was supposed to meet him at least ten minutes ago, and ran out the door in a hurry.

* * *

Mako was waiting impatiently in front of the island for his girlfriend, standing there in the Air Temple's entrance for what seemed like ten minutes. He currently had his hands in his pockets, basking in the warm sun, feeling the cool breeze that rustled his hair, his clothes, and his red scarf. He closed his eyes to take in the calm and quiet atmosphere that was a contrasting characteristic from the busy streets of the city. There were no Satomobiles or crowds of people rushing here and there; no shouts of "Hey! Watch where you're going!" or annoying honks from impatient drivers; no gangs in the area to intimidate you or threats on your life from questionable strangers; no stalkers, muggers, or robbers either. This island was a peaceful paradise, or a utopia, if you will. Today was a nice day to just relax and maybe have a picnic. The weather was just right and absolutely perfect. Korra had told him that she wanted to have a date in the city, but now, Mako was having second thoughts, and having a date here would be heavenly bliss. But then he shook the idea away when he remembered that three little airbender children would likely get in the way.

_Why is she so late? _he asked himself, staring up at the temple in front of him. _She told me she'd be waiting outside for me at the entrance, and she's not even here. Where in the world _is_ she?_

He turned around to face the bay, blankly staring at the surface of the water. He watched boats and ferries pass by, as well as sea birds that squawked and flew above the water, looking for a possible meal to catch in the sea below them.

_I've never really cared for birds, _he thought to himself.

He then stared up at the clear blue sky, smiling to himself that Korra's eyes were just as bright, blue, and big as the sky above them. But this made him remember the girl, the girl who was now late and practically standing him up, and he frowned. Suddenly, he heard light steps sneaking behind him.

Without turning around, he sighed and said, "You may be unable to speak, but I can still hear you … _Korra."_ She stopped in her tracks and froze at the mention of her name, knowing that she was caught. He spun around to face her, folding his arms, looking like an upset father who was going to scold his child because of a missed curfew. In response, she gave him a guilty look.

"You realize that you're late, right? Do you know how long I've been standing here?" Her body language and her face was trying to tell him that she was sorry, and he understood, simply accepting her apology.

"Well, you're here now." She ran up to him and he offered her his hand, which she kindly took. As they were walking down the pathway to the ferry, he asked her with much curiosity, "What were you doing anyway?" She shot him a grin that read, "Not telling you," and decided to keep it as her little secret.

* * *

"Where do you want to go?" Mako asked, smiling at his short girlfriend. She looked around, moving her head left and right, eyeing buildings, stores, and small shops and street vendors that sold things from food to cheap souvenirs. Korra and Mako were in the middle of Republic City, an area that Mako was familiar with. It was a busy area, and quite safe too to his knowledge. It was Republic City's own version of an outside shopping mall, and Mako had laughed when Korra's eyes grew big in excitement and surprise.

She finally found a booth that caught her eye, and she pulled on Mako's arm in that direction without warning.

"Whoa! Korra! Where're we going?"

She miraculously didn't run into anyone as they ran through a busy crowd, dragging Mako to a booth that sold food, mainly small snacks. The seller raised his eyebrows as the couple advanced to his booth at an alarming rate, giving them a weird look. The man at the vendor was short and rather plump with fair skin; his hair black, short, and shaggy; and exhibited slanty green eyes.

"Hello," he welcomed them. "What'll you have?"

Korra carefully looked around the booth's snacks, examining each one. She found something to her liking and pointed at it with her finger.

"The fire flakes?" Mako asked her, and she nodded her head. "Alright, we'll have two fire flakes," he told the vendor, holding up two fingers.

"Ten yuans," the man replied.

He stared at the man incredulously and half-shouted, "T-ten yuans? Wow, that's pretty expensive for a small bag of fire flakes." He glanced down at his girlfriend. "Are you sure you want this, Korra?"

"Korra? You mean, _the_ Avatar Korra?" the man asked, to confirm that he had heard right. She gave the man a nod.

"Well, I heard about your unfortunate accident on the radio weeks ago," the man resumed with sincere sympathy. "So, you really can't talk, huh? Sorry to hear that." He paused to think for a second, and said, "How about this? You can take just take 'em - they're on the house!"

"You mean they're free?"

"That's what 'on the house' means," the man laughed. "But yes. Just this once. Don't tell anyone though," he whispered at the Avatar with a wink.

As they walked away eating their free snacks, Korra grinned up at Mako, and he smiled.

_Perks of being the Avatar,_ they both thought.

* * *

"Korra? Korra, where are you?" Mako called anxiously, looking around for a familiar figure. Korra had let go of his hand to go watch something she believed was entertaining, and he had lost sight of her. He knew she couldn't respond or call back to him so that he could follow her voice, and he began to worry. He understood that she was a tough girl who could take care of herself, but he knew the dangers of the city. And if someone were to get his hands on her, no one would be able to hear her scream for help.

He ran through the crowds, searching here and there for a short, tan girl in a Water Tribe getup. His heart was pounding and he was losing his calm, calling her name repeatedly. "Korra? Korra, can you hear me? Where are you?" He jumped suddenly when he felt a warm hand slip into his, and he instantly turned around to see the very girl he was looking for.

He bowed his head, and sighed deeply in relief. "Don't scare me like that, Korra," and she tilted her head in confusion. "Hold onto my hand at all times, okay?" and he squeezed her hand. She didn't like being treated like a small child, but she thought it was cute how overprotective he was of her. So, she decided to mess with him a bit.

She "pretended" to get lost a few times, her hand slipping out of his, unnoticed, and she hid from his view, watching him freak out every time. The last time she did it, she laughed, and he glared at her, now aware of her little game, and said, "You're doing that on purpose." She nodded while bursting out laughing again, and he narrowed his eyes in annoyance with a slight pout on his face.

"Fine. I won't hold your hand for the rest of the day," and he jammed both his hands into his pockets, walking away from her. She rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, knowing that she put him in a slightly bad mood, and went to follow him. However, it was difficult as people walked in front of her or accidentally bumped into her from every direction. She noticed that he was getting farther away from her, so she tried to pick up the pace and ease her way through the moving crowd, but he was still out of reach and she could barely see the top of his head.

Finally, she spotted Mako who wasn't that far away from where she was standing. She moved through the crowd more smoothly this time, but unfortunately still couldn't reach him. She saw him about to walk past a parked trolley that was loading and unloading passengers, attempting to cross the street. Then, she saw a speeding motorcycle heading his way.

She tried to reach Mako, pushing her way through people, not caring whether it was rude or not. She ran as fast as her legs could take her, glad that her airbending training had increased her running speed, making her run as fast as the wind. As she ran, she tried to call out his name, but, to her dismay, nothing came out. Her mind was trying to come up with something quick, her heart going a mile a minute. She only had a few seconds before everything turned into absolute chaos. She couldn't bend anything with so many people nearby and close - she couldn't risk hurting those around her. Instead, she just kept on running, hoping to get him out of the way in time.

This entire time, Mako believed that Korra was following behind him, but since she got him in a foul mood, he wasn't really focusing on anything at the moment. As he walked absentmindedly into the streets, he didn't notice the vehicle heading his way until the very last second, his eyes wide in horror when a man from the sidewalk yelled, "Watch out!"

And the whole world seemed to slow down drastically in that dreadful last second.

* * *

The motorcyclist had turned his bike slightly, trying to avoid hitting the firebender in front of him; Mako - frozen in place - was pushed violently to the side, hitting the dirt ground, _hard. _But not as hard as the impact Korra felt from the motorcycle.

The last thing Mako heard was a hit, and people screaming.

* * *

Mako groaned in pain as he laid there on the ground, his head spinning. His head had hit the ground pretty hard, seeing mostly blue stars at the moment, and his arm ached a bit. He got up and stood there, dazed for a few seconds, wondering what had just happened. He turned to see a trail of blood on the dirt ground, and he traced it to a surrounding crowd. As people moved here and there, he caught a glimpse of a lifeless tan hand, just laying on the ground.

His heart completely stopped, air trapped in his throat, and he scrambled to his feet, running - running to who he hoped wasn't who he thought it was. All he could hear as he ran was his heart beating like a loud ticking clock, and muffled screams and cries from nearby witnesses. He pushed people out of the way to reach her, muttering, "No, no, no. Please be okay. Please be okay."

It was Korra … but she wasn't moving.

"K-Korra?" his voice faltered in a whisper. He dropped down on his knees beside her, and scooped her up in his shaky arms. He set her body on his knees, hugging her head close to his chest, wiping the blood from her forehead. Her body was colder than usual, and her breathing was unnaturally slow.

"Don't do this to me, Korra," Mako began to cry, trying to shake her body awake. "I'm not going to lose you again. Open your eyes, Korra._ Please_ open your eyes." The tears began to well up in his eyes, falling on Korra's pale cheeks, and his vision became blurred. "You didn't have to save me. My life isn't worth it. You don't have to save everyone. You didn't have to save me. You didn't have to save me," and his voice became an inaudible whisper mixed with choking sobs, hugging her body closer to him.

* * *

Mako was in the hospital, pacing the waiting room back and forth, his mind going crazy, waiting to hear if Korra was going to make it or not. One of the best healers in the city were inside the operating room, as well as doctors and nurses, and were currently healing Korra. It had only been a little more than an hour, but to Mako it felt like days were going by, and his heart wouldn't stop beating from anxiety. His thoughts were filled with fear, and he recalled how cold she felt, how lifeless she was in his arms. He decided to sit back down on his chair, but he couldn't calm down. He buried his head in his hands, rubbing his head up and down in them.

"Take care of her," Lin had told him earlier that day. As he remembered this, he just wanted to pull all his hair out and scream, knowing that he was doing exactly the opposite.

His thoughts vanished and he immediately stood up when the doctor addressed him.

Mako stared at the doctor with pained and impatient restless eyes, and asked, "How's Korra? Is she going to be alright?"

The doctor sighed and nodded, saying, "Yes. She'll live, which was quite a miracle." Mako released a huge sigh of relief, his body feeling a little lighter. "She is wide awake and a bit weak at the moment, but you may see her now if you wish. Quite the tough girl, might I say," the doctor smiled.

"That's definitely Korra," Mako snickered.

"I'm currently very busy now with new patients coming in and such, so I will not accompany you. She is in the same room as the previous time," the doctor informed him. As Mako walked past him to advance to Korra's hospital room, the old man added, sounding very grave, "This time she was exceedingly lucky, however … I want you to prepare yourself for this one, son. She didn't go through it unscathed."

And in that last sentence, Mako could sense that there was a much deeper and horrible meaning, and his fears returned once again.

"Doctor, you are needed at the current time," a nurse impatiently called from behind, and the doctor sighed, saying, "Forgive me, but … I'll let you find this one out on you're own." Then, both walked away in opposite directions.

As the firebender stopped in front of Korra's door, his hand hesitated to slide the door open, and his body was a little shaky. He forced himself to breathe in deeply, then exhale, and he opened the door. He saw Korra lying on her bed, her eyes closed. But as he shut the door behind him, her eyes opened and she slowly sat up, turning to face him. He smiled as their eyes met, but she didn't return it.

He approached her bed and pulled a chair next to it, and said, "I'm glad you're alright, Korra. I," his voice faltered, "I thought I was going to lose you." He exasperated a short sigh. "But, you're fine now." He stood up to hug her, careful not to squeeze her too tight, but strangely, she didn't hug him back. When he released her from the hug, she gave him a confused look.

"You're probably really angry at me right now," his face saddened, turning his face away from hers. "I should've been with you. I shouldn't have let go of your hand, so that all of this could've been avoided. This was all my fault. I'm so, so s-sorry," he stammered, tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. He gently put a hand on hers and gazed deeply into her clear blue eyes. But for some reason, he couldn't read what she was feeling, what she was thinking. She quickly took her hand from under his, recoiling from his touch, her face now completely befuddled. Why was she looking at him like that?

"What's wrong, Korra?" he inquired, not understanding what was going through her head at the moment. He then remembered that she couldn't speak, and searched around the room for something to write on and a writing utensil. He couldn't find a single piece of paper to write on, but he did find a simple pen lying around and handed it to Korra.

"Write down what you're thinking here," he instructed while pointing at his right palm with his other hand. She was reluctant at first, but she finally grabbed his hand and pulled it up to her. It tickled his hand as she wrote, and Mako couldn't see what she was writing, but she didn't take long as she only wrote a few words. He took his hand back and instantly turned to stone as he read three, dreadful words - three words he never imagined to read from her; three words he never thought she would ever say to him; three words that were worse than "I hate you".

His tears blurred the message written on his hand - the message that read:

_Who are you?_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Yes, I am a horrible, horrible person. Yet _another _cliffhanger for ya, folks. :P Everything starts off sweet and then … "BAM!", everything's turned bitter. I won't be able to update right away, so I'll leave you all in suspense. *evil laugh*_

_Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it - I appreciate either one. :_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Previously on "Say My Name":**_

_Korra had been taking private speech therapy lessons with Jinora so that her first word would be "Mako". Korra and Mako go on their date, but it ends terribly when she gets hit by a motorcycle to save her boyfriend. Later that day, it is revealed that Korra lost her memory …_

* * *

Mako stared at the horrible message in his hand, the words now smeared from his hot tears dripping uncontrollably from his face. His heart was practically torn in two; his head now feeling fuzzy and depleted. He gasped for air as if he had forgotten how to breathe. Were the words real that she had written on his palm? Was she trying to play a joke on him, pretending to forget him, and then laugh when she got the right reaction from him? By the look on her face, she was deathly serious. She had truly forgotten him; she was now looking at a complete stranger.

_How much had she forgotten?_ was Mako's question. He clenched his fist that was now flooded with tears, and slowly looked up at Korra. His vision was blurred and he could barely see her face. Even though his vision was unclear, through his eyes he could see that she looked confused, surprised, as well as sympathetic. She didn't understand why the handsome young man in front of her was crying, wondering why he knew her name, why he knew her as if they had known each other for a long time.

Mako wiped the tears rushing down his face to get a better look at her. His other hand was resting on the bed, and Korra put her hand gently on top of his, and gave him a look filled with pity that said, "I'm sorry, but … I don't know you."

Never before had he felt so empty.

* * *

Tenzin came barging into the room in a frantic manner, his robe fluttering in the wind he carried with him. He saw Korra sitting up in her bed and Mako slumping forward in his chair, completely motionless.

"Korra! Are you alright?" Tenzin inquired nervously as he approached her bed. Korra turned to the voice and smiled at his familiar face, and Mako didn't stir. "I rushed here as soon as I got the call from the hospital."

The doctor suddenly came in and walked over to the three, seating himself on a chair nearest the bed, setting one leg over the other.

"Is she fine, doctor?" Tenzin asked the doctor impatiently. "Has she suffered any further damage?"

The old doctor shook his head at the last question, and said, "She's fine, but it looks like this poor girl has lost a bit of her memory. Amnesia, if you will."

The airbending master's face turned pale at the doctor's statement. "Amnesia? What exactly has she forgotten?"

The doctor sighed and replied, "To tell you the truth, I don't really know. She seems to recognize _you,_ Councilman. Mako, on the other hand," the doctor turned to the firebender who slowly glanced up as he was being addressed, "is one who she seems _not_ to remember."

"But," Mako began, sounding very hoarse, "when did you know that she couldn't remember me?"

The doctor looked straight into Mako's eyes, then glanced back at the Avatar, and brought his eyes back to the young man. "Well," the doctor started, "when she finally woke up, I had told her that _you," _he pointed at the firebender, "had brought her in the hospital. I even used your name. Her face looked confused, and at first I believed that she just didn't remember the incident. However, she _did_ remember the accident (she was strong enough to write down briefly that she had hit a motorcycle). Strangely, she didn't know _why_ it had happened - only that she got hit and she was out." He paused for a second and continued. "I mentioned your name again at the time, and sadly … she couldn't recall you." He paused for a second time and sighed while shaking his head slowly, then looked at Mako with a sympathetic face. "I'm sorry, son."

No one said another word for a while, until Mako finally broke the silence.

"I don't understand," he whispered with a slightly raspy voice. "Why me? Why is it only _me_ she doesn't remember?"

"I'm not sure," the doctor responded honestly, switching his one leg over the other. "It may have something to do with the accident."

"Explain to us what happened the best you can, if you please," Tenzin requested of Mako.

Mako recollected everything like it was etched deep in his brain; almost every moment, every second, was as plain to see in his head, and he could visualize everything as if he was watching a movie - a movie he'd want to forget and never see again in his life. Korra was listening as he told them all what had happened, but she could recall none of it, and hearing this unknown person in front of her explain this all was strange to her.

As he finished telling the doctor and Tenzin - who listened patiently in complete silence - all that had happened, the doctor nodded in understanding and explained what he believed was the problem.

"This is just a theory," the man slowly began, "but it seems as though - from your story - that at the moment, the last thing she had on her mind were thoughts of you, seeing how she was desperately trying to save you, only having thoughts for you before, during, and after the accident. When I had examined her skull, it appeared she had a severe bump on her head, most likely from the hard impact she felt from the ground. Supposedly, this caused her to forget you entirely."

When Mako and Tenzin didn't respond, he continued, saying in a low tone, "To put it simply, your face, voice, and all memories of you - from your first meeting to today - are no longer there." Mako wanted to cry and to scream, but he was too weak and his eyes were now completely dry of tears.

The old doctor stood up with a sigh, and walked over to Mako who was hunched in his chair, his face buried in his hands. He lightly patted the firebender's back and thought what he should say to him.

"You do have hope, m'boy," the man reassured the devastated firebender, trying his best to give him words of comfort. "One never truly forgets."

* * *

Korra was released from the hospital the very next day, and was ordered by the doctor to rest in her bed for several days before doing anything physical. She was too weak to object to this and simply nodded her head when he told her this.

One night, as she was laying bored in her bed, she sat up and stared at the bright Full Moon in the sky above her through the window that was located near her bed. She slowly got off her bed and walked to her open window, shivering a little when her feet touched the cold ground. She stood in front of the window, feeling the cold breeze kiss her warm skin, her hair fluttering in the wind. She closed her eyes as she quietly stood there, dozing off a bit while feeling the cool air that escaped through the window. She opened her eyes, now staring at a shiny, golden dome that was settled in the middle of the bay. Her elbow was resting on the windowsill, her head laying in her left palm, simply gazing at the Probending Arena. She remembered being in this position months before, dreamily thinking about something on one of her first nights here in Republic City. Back then, was she thinking of the Probending Arena, or was it … something else entirely? She sat there contemplating for a moment, but shook her head in frustration as she couldn't recall the memory, and returned to her bed.

She laid back in her bed, her hands behind her head, and her legs bent - practically in the position to do a sit-up. She stared at her polar-bear dog, wanting to call her name, but, much to her dismay, she couldn't.

_Why can't I speak?_ Korra thought to herself. This puzzled and bothered her the most, especially for the simple fact that she didn't remember _how_ she couldn't speak. When she had written down the question for Tenzin, the old master explained that it was an accident caused by the firebender named Mako. When Tenzin mentioned his name, nothing rung a bell in her brain. Had she ever met that handsome young man before? She remembered being in the hospital yesterday, recalling how the young stranger looked at her, how he tried talking to her, how he acted as if they had known each other forever. She had gazed deeply into his amber eyes, but could recall nothing, only seeing depression and heartbreak, his face exhibiting the look of one who had lost his lover. She tried with all her might to remember him, but to no avail. Did they really know each other? She believed that they didn't and wanted to tell him that he must've confused her with someone else, but everyone around her seemed to know him.

She gave up thinking about this for the night - due to the fact that her eyes' strength were failing her - and silently drifted off into a deep sleep. That night, she had a strange dream: her dream consisted of random memories, as if they were clips of a movie, but instead were bits and pieces of her life, and each memory seemed new to her. The strange thing of it all was that a tall young man was in each and every one of them. His face was blurred in each memory, and she could vaguely see his mouth. His mouth moved, but his voice was completely silent as he talked, even when he laughed.

In her last memory, she was in the South Pole, entering the Avatar State for the very first time. As her body lowered back to the ground and her feet touched the snow beneath her, she realized someone was behind her. As she turned around, his face was finally revealed and she remembered his name. But when next morning came, her dream was completely forgotten … as well as the young man.

* * *

That same night Korra was staring out her window, Mako was staring out of his, his eyes fixated on Air Temple Island. He had remembered looking out the attic window those many months ago, thinking of the interesting new person in his life, thinking of the Avatar, thinking of_ her._ He felt empty inside at this very moment, not sure what to feel. Right now he was thinking of her, knowing that she would no longer be thinking of him.

_I've only caused her pain,_ he thought to himself, and he didn't doubt that for a second. He had hurt her when he chose Asami, when deep down his true feelings were for Korra the whole time. But he ignored his feelings for the Avatar, believing that "it made more sense to be with Asami". He was truly a fool, and it only took her to be kidnapped by Tarrlok to finally realize his love for the young Avatar. But he loved her just for being her, _not _the Avatar, and he had assured her of that back at the South Pole when she had lost her bending. He loved her cocky, stubborn, and brash attitude as well as her tomboyish personality. As much as she would frustrate him, she always managed to make him smile. He made her feel things he had never felt before, and he never once regretted falling in love with her, with _Korra._

But he had almost killed her over a stupid newspaper, causing her to become mute. He could've avoided the motorcycle accident if he had only been with her, holding her hand to keep her out of harm's way, aware that she couldn't speak. But instead he left in a bad mood, ignoring her existence for a while. She practically sacrificed her life to save his, and now he had become a complete stranger to her.

He now believed that being around him was nothing but a curse, that _loving him_ was nothing but a curse, bringing misfortune to those he knew and to those who love him. When he was a child, he had partially blamed himself for his parents' death; he hurt his brother when he had kissed Korra in front of him; he had hurt Asami who truly loved him; and he was now bringing pain to the very girl he loves.

He sat there in the windowsill for what seemed like hours, the wind rustling his clothes, his scarf, and his tousled hair. He sat there in silence, unaffected by the cold night air, wide awake and yet to be overtaken by sleep. His eyes never once left the island, wondering how Korra was fairing at the moment, wondering if she had fallen asleep yet. He sighed deeply, and clenched his fists, coming to a difficult decision.

"I have to end it," he whispered to himself, relaxing his hands, feeling a sharp pain in his heart as if an arrow had shot through it. "Tomorrow, I'll see her one last time … before I let her go."

* * *

_**A/N: **__Sorry for the long wait everybody! Was this chapter boring at all? For the past week, I've wanted to stop writing this because, sadly, I'm rather bored of writing this little story, and I'm just not feeling it anymore. -_- But I know that that would be a nightmare for you guys and I think it's horrible to write a story and then just stop, leaving people wondering what would happen next and how it would end. So, I'm gonna keep writing … for you guys. :) (Don't be afraid to tell me if my story is becoming uninteresting, or if my writing is getting worse.) The next chapter is the last one … I think._

_Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it - I appreciate either one. :_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Previously on "Say my Name":**_

_The doctor explains to Mako that Korra cannot remember him, and that all memories concerning the young firebender are gone. Mako comes to a painful decision to end his relationship with Korra, and to forget all they had gone through together …_

* * *

The very next morning, Mako woke up exceptionally early, having only slept a few hours. He had bags under his eyes, and his head felt a bit fuzzy from drowsiness. He sat up in his bed, his eyes squinting at the bright morning sunlight that snuck through his window. He dragged himself out of bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. He hated staring at himself in his bathroom mirror. He noticed that he wasn't looking his best: being thinner than usual from malnutrition, appearing half-dead and inanimate.

_You're wasting away here, Mako, _he told himself. After washing his face, he rubbed his skin with a dry towel, and looked back at the mirror, examining his half-lidded eyes. They looked distant and lifeless. His eyes were now a dull orange, no longer full of youth, but instead appeared as if they had seen all of life's struggles.

_What am I doing to myself? _he asked inwardly. And he released a small sigh, setting his left palm over his reflection, covering his face so that he couldn't see the pain that dwelled within him, and closed his eyes, bowing his head in disgust. He clenched his fist that rested on the mirror, pushing himself away from it, dropping his towel on the floor in a careless manner, and walked out the door. He was now dreading what he was planning to do today.

* * *

"Mmmmm! Breakfast is really good, bro," Bolin complimented, talking with his mouth full.

Mako gave him a small smile and replied, "Heh. Glad you like it." His smile immediately returned to a frown, becoming quiet once again, silently eating the food he made, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Bolin knew that his brother wasn't necessarily much of a talker (especially at the dinner table), but he noticed that something about his older brother today was off, _very_ off. He's known his brother all his life, and the only other time he had ever seen his brother act so quiet and distant was when their parents were killed those many years ago. Bolin was aware that he wasn't so great at reading situations the majority of the time, but when it came to his brother, he just knew.

"Hey, Mako?" Bolin began to say rather hesitantly, swallowing the food in his mouth.

"Hm?" Mako responded, not looking up at his little brother.

"You okay?" the earthbender asked with great concern. "I mean, you look sorta … out of it."

Mako glanced up at his brother. "Wha d'ya mean? I'm fine," he lied with a straight face, and stared back at the food on his plate.

"C'mon, Mako," Bolin returned disbelievingly, seeing through his brother's obvious lie. "You're not yourself today, and you look - I don't know - dead," he shrugged.

"I'm fine," the firebender repeated sternly, poking his food absentmindedly with his chopsticks.

"If it's about Korra -"

"It's not," Mako instantly replied, lying yet again.

Bolin didn't miss his brother tense slightly at this suggestion of the Avatar, and insisted, "It _is_ about Korra."

"No. It's _not," _Mako snapped back, feeling very annoyed. As he looked up from his plate, he caught a glance of his brother folding his arms, his face not buying the firebender's lie. Mako turned his head to the left, avoiding his brother's gaze from across the table, and he then released a defeated sigh, knowing that he couldn't deny it any longer.

"Fine," Mako grumbled. "It_ is_ about Korra. Happy now?" He swiftly rested his head in his right palm, his face still turned away from his younger brother's.

"No, I'm not happy," Bolin responded, his body relaxing, and his voice soft with concern. "Seriously, Mako. What's eating you?"

Mako didn't say a word for the longest time, and Bolin wondered if his brother was going to ignore him, but the firebender finally spoke up, his voice in a very low tone.

"I'm going to end it with Korra."

Bolin's face grew wide with shock, and gave out an incredulous, _"What? _But, bro … you love her._"_

Mako shook his head and replied in a flat tone, "It doesn't matter," and he felt a pang in his heart.

Bolin scoffed at his brother's ridiculous statement, and repeated his words, "It doesn't _matter?"_

"Yeah. That's what I said," the firebender returned. "She doesn't remember me anymore, Bo. I can't …" his voice trailed off.

"You can't _what?" _

Mako lifted his head from his palm, and turned to face his brother, his amber eyes filling with annoyance and slight anger at his brother's nosiness.

"I can't love her anymore!" he exclaimed, glaring into green eyes, his voice growing louder with each sentence. "Look what I've done to her! I almost killed her over something stupid! It was _my_ fault she got hit by that motorcycle!" Mako saw his brother taken aback by his exclamations, and he relaxed himself, clenching his right fist to hold back his anger, and he exasperated a deep sigh. "If I stay with her," the firebender began in a calmer tone, "who knows what else I'll do to her." He sighed once again before continuing, his voice now a whisper. "It's probably for the best that she doesn't remember me … I'm ending it. Today."

Bolin became silent for a moment, trying to find the right words to keep his brother from making one of the worst decisions in his life.

"This isn't like you, bro," Bolin told him, pointing at his brother with the chopsticks in his hand. "How could you just give up? You never gave up when we were just orphans on the street. Mako … you're already regretting your decision. Look, it's not the end of the worl -"

"You don't understand," Mako cut him off. "I don't _exist_ in her world. Not anymore …" he whispered, his eyes grazing past Bolin's shoulder, staring out the window to view Air Temple Island.

_"Her_ world?" Bolin looked at him as if he was crazy, his eyebrow raised. "Bro, we all share the same world," he reassured him. "You were just forgotten, not non-existent. You said that the doctor told you, 'One never truly forgets'," trying his best at impersonating the doctor's low voice.

"Yeah? Well, that's not a guarantee. I doubt she'll ever remember me," he said with a depressed tone of voice. Mako didn't want to talk about this anymore - not now, not with his brother. He lowered his head.

Bolin shook his head in disappointment at his brother, his mouth now harboring a sad frown.

"So, that's it? You're just gonna give up? Just like that?"

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?"

"Start over," Bolin immediately answered, as if it was the simplest solution in the world.

"Start … over?" Mako repeated slowly, his eyes wide at his brother's suggestion.

Bolin simply shrugged, and explained, "Yeah. Y'know … To win her heart back and stuff," and he stuffed his mouth with more food.

Mako sat there pondering and considering Bolin's idea for a few minutes. Bolin was never really that great at persuading him, and was always quite childish, even to this day. But now, they seemed to switch roles for the moment, the young earthbender acting like the big brother. Mako never expected to get advice from his baby brother, not until they were much older. He had protected him for years, making the decisions for Bolin, doing his best to keep his little brother from making the wrong choices. Was Bolin always so insightful, or was it just because he raised him right? Either way, Mako was surprised, as well as proud.

He then rose from the eating table, and had the biggest grin on his face - a grin Bolin hadn't seen in a long while. The tall firebender walked past his brother, and in the process he ruffled his younger brother's hair, and told him, "Thanks, Bolin."

Bolin returned his brother's smile, fixing his now messed up hair, and replied, "No problem. Sooooo … can I finish your dumpling?"

Bolin still wasn't that great at reading situations apparently, and Mako couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Korra was resting outside, sitting under the shade of one of the trees that existed on the island somewhere near the bay. Her back was reclined on the tree's trunk, her hands behind her head with her eyes shut closed. She was wasn't thinking of much, just listening to herself breathe and the occasional rustling of tree leaves, smelling the sea water that invaded the air, and feeling the cool breeze. She laid there in silence, having been left alone for an hour, not once being bothered by one of the overly ecstatic airbender children.

She opened her eyes, letting out a sigh through her nose. She was now officially bored with nothing to do. Tenzin had reminded her not to do anything strenuous, more specifically, _bending,_ which really irked her because bending was her life, her_ being._ She slipped her right arm from under her head, her hand in front of her, directly above her thigh. Her palm was facing up, and she conjured up a small ball of fire. She gazed at its flames, feeling the heat that emanated from it. The scent of the fire was so intoxicating; the smoke rising to her nostrils.

_This smell, _Korra pondered to herself. _I know this smell. Someone … Someone I know normally has this smell. It _has_ to be a firebender. But I … I don't remember who. _She extinguished the small flame, clenching her fist in frustration. She closed her eyes tight, attempting to imagine the mystery person's features, possibly a voice. All she could remember was the smell, the smell so nostalgic it was practically eating her alive.

_Was it a … girl?_ she asked herself. _No, _she shook her head at the thought. _I don't really have any girl firebender friends. It's definitely a guy … Wait. Why is this bothering me so much? Y'know what? I don't care anymore._ And as she thought the last statement, she felt a strange sharp pain in her chest, her heart feeling curiously heavy.

_What?_ she asked herself, shocked at the odd feeling in her chest, clenching the location of her heart._ Hmm … I must be hungry or something, _she believed and shrugged it off.

Suddenly, as she shut her eyes to daydream once again, an image of a guy's mouth appeared, forming the words, "Korra." The picture was becoming clearer, but it was still too blurry to see. She closed her eyes tighter, concentrating hard to see the picture better, and right as the person's face came into complete focus, her eyes shot open as she heard her name being called, the image now gone, forgetting all she had just seen, back at square one.

"Korra, Korra, Korra!" Ikki called excitedly.

Korra wanted to shout, "What _is_ it, Ikki?" but since she couldn't, she growled in annoyance, her eyes narrowing at the the 7 year-old girl.

Ikki completely ignored the glare, and continued, giggling, "Someone's here to see you! He's coming this way, so I'm just gonna leave you two _alone!"_ And she ran away giggling still, leaving Korra bewildered, her eyebrow raised in confusion.

She stood up and dusted herself off, going to see who this mysterious guest was, as well as his business with her. She only managed to walk a few feet before seeing the top of someone's hair coming up the hill. Her heart almost stopped as a handsome young man came into view, caught off guard as she believed that a much older man - perhaps a politician - was here to see her. She froze where she stood, feeling rather flustered, though she wasn't sure why. Then, she remembered that he was the same boy who was by her bedside at the hospital a couple of days ago, and she recalled the face he had: full of tears and heartbreak. But, she didn't know who he was, or at least, that was what she assumed.

He approached her, a small smile forming on his face, and Korra returned it with a nervous, awkward one.

"Hi. Um …" Mako began, rubbing the back of his neck with his eyes avoiding hers. He wasn't sure what to say, knowing that a conversation with the girl was impossible. "It's probably really weird to see me, with not knowing who I am and everything, but uh …" He paused for a few seconds, cursing himself for not planning this conversation beforehand. "You may not believe it, but you and I used to know each other, for maybe a year or something, but …" He wished he had known prior how extremely awkward this was going to be, and sighed, setting his hands in his pockets. His eyes shifted reluctantly to hers, examining her bright blue eyes. Her eyes were those of confusion; her eyebrows furrowed in perplexity; and her arms folded across her chest, impatiently waiting for what he had to say to her. He sighed once again.

"Let me start from the beginning. My name is Mako," he introduced himself, taking his right hand out of his pocket, putting it out for a handshake. At first she was hesitant, but gladly shook it with a smile creeping on her face. "I hope we can be what we once were," he resumed, their hands separating from one another. "Friends." _And nothing more, _he added within himself.

* * *

_**A/N:**__Well, apparently it's not over yet! :D Several of you said that you didn't want me to end it so quickly, and I really thought long and hard about it, trying to figure out how to extend the story. And guess what? I'm going to extend it just a few more chapters (maybe more if I think of something). You guys really persuaded me, so I'm going to try the best I can to keep it as interesting as possible, without it dragging. Thank you guys for enjoying this (depressing) little story of mine, and thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following "Say My Name" so far - I truly appreciate it. :)_

_(By the way, I wanted to explain something that is rather embarrassing to admit. You know when I said that I was bored with this story? Well, I was actually confusing it with "Writer's Block". I don't normally get W.B., and if any of you have ever gotten it before, you know how frustrating it can be, and sometimes you just want to stop a story altogether. I couldn't think of anything to write, and I actually believed that I was bored with this story. So … Yeah. -_- Anyway, I digress.) _

_So, how was this chapter? Talk about brotherly love, huh? ^w^ And Mako just wants to stay friends with his beloved … Where am I going with this, you ask? Well, keep reading to find out! ;D_

_Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it - I appreciate either one. X)_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Previously on "Say My Name":**_

_Bolin and Mako have a talk about Korra at the breakfast table, Mako fully intent on ending his relationship with the young Avatar. Bolin convinces his brother by telling him to "Start over" to win back Korra's affections. Mako takes this into consideration, but instead of wanting to win back her love, he decides to keep their relationship as just friends …_

* * *

When Mako had finished introducing himself, Korra was immediately contemplating two things: she was questioning if they had truly been friends in the past, as well as pondering the feeling of electricity that shot through her from that simple handshake. The latter seemed to bother her the most. However, she wasn't sure if it bothered her in a good way or in a bad way.

The two of them were still facing each other on that small hill, the silence between them only broken by the leaves of nearby trees that moved with the wind. As she was deep in her thoughts, just standing in front of the firebender, she had failed to notice that Mako was simply staring at her in a rather endearing way, a small smile escaping his lips with his hands deep in his pockets. When the wind had blown Korra's bangs out of place, she pushed them back, her eyes becoming wide as she realized amber eyes were fixated on her. She felt a strange heat rising to her cheeks, and she quickly raised a fist to her mouth, pretending to clear her throat.

Mako had finally realized that he had been staring far longer than he thought, and he averted his eyes from hers, rubbing the back of his hair with a fingerless glove, and mumbled out an awkward "Sorry."

They had both jumped when they heard a loud, "Awwwww! They're so _cute!"_

"Ikki, you're too loud!" Jinora hissed. The Avatar had turned around at the voices behind her, only seeing the tree she had been laying under a couple of minutes ago. She narrowed her eyes at the tree, swiftly kicking the ground in front of her, resulting in two small girls flying upwards and over the tree, landing safely in front of the couple they were spying on. Mako was stifling a laugh as such an action was so characteristic of Korra.

She pouted in anger at these two girls, thinking, _Where did they even come from? _and _How long had they been standing there?_ She rested her hands on her hips, a bit annoyed that she was being spied on.

"We didn't mean to interrupt your little meeting," the elder sister apologized.

"We weren't really talking about anything," Mako explained, shrugging slightly.

_"Whaaaat?"_ Ikki said disbelievingly, her head tilting to the left. "But you were looking deep into her eyes, and you were smiling, and you guys looked so CUTE together!" she squealed excitedly, spinning in a circle.

The Avatar's face turned to one of embarrassment, her whole body tensing, and her eyes darting awkwardly to the firebender behind her. Mako kept a straight face, but inside he was quite enjoying seeing Korra flustered.

"So, what're you two gonna do now?" Ikki nosily asked in a fast-paced manner. "Go on a picnic, go on a date? No, that's too booooring!" she shook her head. She paused then gasped at an idea that popped up in her over-imaginative mind. "Ooooh! You should go on a romantic carriage where it takes you to the magical castle of love and rainbows, and everyone's happy and smiling because you two are soooo in love, Oh! And you become the King and Queen of happiness and -"

_Someone … please … _Stop_ her!_ A blushing Korra screamed desperately in her head, her hands in a position that clearly wanted to strangle the little girl.

"- live happily ever after!" Ikki continued with her hands clasped to her chin, and her smile so bright and huge on her young, enthusiastic face. "I can't _wait_ to fall in love!" the small girl exclaimed.

"I agree," Jinora added. "I want to have a romance just like Korra's and Mako's," she sighed dreamily.

Said persons' reactions to the last statement happened in the blink of an eye: Korra had raised her eyebrows in astonishment and confusion; Mako's face paled, his heart skipping more than a beat. The Avatar clearly wished to inquire what Jinora meant, but Mako had moved as fast as the lightning he could conjure, impatiently saying, "Jinora! Ikki! Can I have a word with you real quick?"

The two sisters tilted their heads to one another, sharing curious looks on their faces, then back at a nervous Mako, both simultaneously replying, "Sure."

The firebender advanced past Korra and the airbender girls, the girls directly following behind him. He took them to a tree away from Korra's hearing range. They stood in front of him, the young man crouching down to their eye level.

"What's wrong, Mako?" Jinora asked with great interest.

The firebender took in a deep breath then exhaled, thinking of what to say to the young, curious eyes staring anxiously at him.

"Korra doesn't …" he began, glancing quickly at said girl who was gazing at them, her arms folded across her chest, then he looked back at the girls. "Korra doesn't remember me," he slowly explained, disheartened at the very words he spoke.

Their eyes grew wide in shock and surprise at this unfortunate news. Neither knew how to respond to this, and for a moment they said nothing, until Jinora muttered out, "How?"

Mako looked away as he answered in a low voice, "The motorcycle accident …"

"The one that happened a few days ago?" Ikki asked.

"Yeah," the firebender nodded. He inwardly decided that he wasn't going to tell the girls that it was partially his fault that it had happened, knowing the details would be too overwhelming for them, and continued. "Could you two do me a favor?"

They both nodded silently.

"Please don't mention to Korra that she and I used to date," he requested of them in a whisper, his heart tightening at the very words that fell off his tongue.

"Why?" Ikki questioned, her childlike curiosity piqued in interest. Mako wasn't expecting this question, and he bit his lip back, debating within himself if he should explain to these two girls the reason why. He reminded himself that these girls were very young, and would not understand what he was feeling, what he was experiencing, seeing as they have not reached puberty and have never fallen in love as of yet. Should he tell them? Should he simply ignore the question? Or should he lie? Would they truly understand that he had hurt Korra enough already, and concluded to just stay friends with her, believing it was the best decision, no matter how much it pained his heart?

Jinora could sense that Mako was terribly uncomfortable with Ikki's simple question - which in truth, wasn't so simple to answer - and when he didn't speak for a while, she told him, "You don't have to tell us the reason, Mako. We won't tell her. _Right,_ Ikki?" her eyes shifted skeptically to her little sister.

"That's right!"

His mouth formed a small, soft smile, and he replied, "Thanks. I really appreciate it." He rose from his crouching position, and all three began walking towards Korra. She had one hand on her her hip, shifting the weight to one of her legs, her eyebrow raised.

"Sorry about that," the firebender apologized. "It was nothing," he reassured her.

"Yeah," Jinora said. "We were just talking about … Um …"

"Mako's idea to take you out to lunch!" Ikki beamed, disregarding what the three of them had just discussed, and Jinora bowed her head at her sister's lack of comprehension. Korra made a face at Mako that read, "Really?" and he released a short sigh.

"Yeah," he replied monotonously. "So, how about it? Just lunch … between _friends,"_ he emphasized. "It'll help rebuild our friendship you've forgotten."

She nodded happily, a tinge of red on her pretty face.

* * *

Mako took Korra to Narook's Seaweed Noodlery for lunch as this restaurant was the only one he knew that fit his budget. She wasn't sure what to think of the handsome young man who offered to take her out for an afternoon meal, and the ride from the island to this restaurant was a bit awkward, to say the least. She wished she could have conversed with him, but sadly she couldn't, and apparently that was caused by this firebender himself. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him, but to her frustration, nothing came out. This man, in her eyes, was a puzzle in and of himself. He had told her on the island that they had been just friends, but she noticed many of the glances he stole at her, and she couldn't help but think that he thought of her as something more. But she shook her head at the notion, believing that such thinking was rather egotistic of her, completely doubting that such a guy like him would ever consider her as a love interest. But yet again, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her heart, ignoring it for the second time, hoping that a bowl of Narook's noodles would stop it from doing that.

As the two were eating their bowls of seaweed noodles, Mako happened to look up at the Avatar, restraining himself from laughing as the girl was stuffing her face like no tomorrow, slurping the noodles in an unladylike manner. He tried not to think that she looked adorable with her cheeks puffed up with food, but to no avail.

_I can't think like this,_ he thought to himself, staring back at his bowl, clenching the chopsticks in his hand._ I need to think of her as a friend. But why is it so hard?_

They continued eating their food in silence, until unwanted company approached their table.

"Well, if it isn't the Uh-vatar and the Fire Ferret Captain."

Mako sighed and asked in annoyance, "What do you want, Tahno?" Korra equally glared at this familiar, bothersome piece of existence.

"What? I can't just come over and say hi?" he smirked playfully, smoothing his hair.

"Well, that wasn't much of a greeting," Mako returned.

The waterbender ignored Mako's last comment, and turned to the tanned girl, saying, "So, Ms. Uh-vatar … Haven't heard you say a single word yet. How unlike you. Cat-owl got your tongue?"

Mako narrowed his eyes at him, replying sternly, "Tahno -"

"I was just joking," the Wolfbat cut him short. "I heard all about your little accident. Terrible for Ms. Talkie to lose her voice," he shrugged, somewhat sympathetically. "Well, at least you got your _boyfriend_ over here to take care of you." Mako practically choked on the food in his throat, his eyes shot open in surprise. Did he really have to emphasize the "boyfriend" part?

_Boyfriend?_ Korra thought to herself, her eyebrows raised in the firebender's direction.

"Tahno," Mako began, composing himself. "We're just _friends,"_ he said with gritted teeth.

"What?" the waterbender asked incredulously. "Oh, I see. Dumped him already?" he grinned at the now very confused tomboy.

"I don't know where you heard that, but we were always _just_ _friends."_

Tahno merely blinked and responded, "So, friends normally go on dates …"

"No," the firebender growled. "We're just hanging out."

"Oh, _really?_ Y'know, I always thought a boy and girl going out to lunch, _alone,_ was called a lunch _date," _Tahno slyly grinned, setting a hand on his hip. Mako released an air of frustration through his nose, knowing that he was losing this argument, and Tahno sneered in accomplishment. The firebender rose from the table, grabbing the Wolfbat's coat, and dragged him outside the shop with him.

"Everything alright, boys?" Narook asked nervously near the restaurant's entrance.

"Just _dandy,"_ Mako replied through his teeth, pushing through the swinging doors as well as people entering the restaurant who were giving them weird looks. He took Tahno towards a nearby alley, and released his grip from the waterbender's clothes.

"What's the deal, fire boy?" Tahno inquired, straightening out his coat. "I'm not really in a mood for a fight." The firebender relaxed, restraining himself from throwing a ball of flame at the waterbender's feet. The city was loud as always, bustling with people and rushing Satomobiles on the streets. Hopefully, unwanted ears wouldn't overhear the young men's conversation.

"Look," Mako started, turning his face to Tahno. "Could you not mention anything about me being Korra's boyfriend?" He hated having to say this twice on the same day, his heart tightening once again in his chest. He would never get used to this horrible feeling.

"And why not?" he blinked in little interest.

"Because … she has no idea who I am," he sighed. "You don't really need to know the reason, but … I just want me and her to stay as friends."

"And why should this concern _me?"_ the pale waterbender asked, flipping his hair to the side.

"Well, what you were saying in the restaurant was causing problems," Mako scoffed. "Listen. We may not be friends of any kind -"

"Heh. Definitely not."

"- but could you keep your mouth shut when it comes to Korra's and my past relationship?"

Tahno stood there, examining his fingernails, while saying nothing. Mako waited impatiently for his answer, partially planning to hit him if he chose to ignore his simple request and not say a word.

"Fine," Tahno said flatly, shrugging in a bored manner. "I guess I can do something nice for the Uh-vatar's _friend, _since she _did _restore my bending and all." He paused, then resumed, saying, "I'm bored of this conversation, and thanks to you I lost my appetite," he sighed.

"Thanks, Tahno," Mako said gratefully, his mouth forming the smallest smile.

"Sure thing, Fire Ferret," he dully replied. As he was advancing past Mako, he stopped and whispered with a devious grin, "Watch out. I may steal her from you," and he continued walking. The firebender swerved around with fire in his eyes, and threatened with clenched fists, "If you touch her, I swear I'll _kill _you!"

"It was a joke," the waterbender snickered as he kept walking. "Later, kid."

"That guy is such a pain," Mako growled angrily under his breath. He shook his head and sighed, walking back into Narook's. He sat back down at the table, Korra's eyebrows raised curiously at him, and he said, "It wasn't anything serious - we just talked. Don't worry about it," he smiled reassuringly. She didn't necessarily believe him, but seeing that she couldn't question him any further due to her being mute, she let it go, and they continued eating.

* * *

When Korra returned back to Air Temple Island alone, she began to think deeply on all that happened so far today, a certain thought eating away at her. Jinora and Tahno had both mentioned something about her and the young man, Mako, being in love and already in a relationship - a _love_ relationship. Were they both joking? But if so, why would Mako get completely flustered when they _did_ mention it? Did he hate the idea of even being a couple with her? But Tahno and Jinora weren't teasing - they were saying it as if it were truth. Was the firebender lying to her? Were they more than just mere friends?

Mako confused her; it was hard to read what he was thinking. He kept a straight face most of the time, but he inconspicuously looked at her in a loving way, however she caught almost every single glance he gave her. But what bothered her the most was the feeling she had whenever she was with him, whenever she looked at him. It was a strange feeling: it made her feel at home, and she didn't understand why.

As she walked up the stairs to the temple, still deep in her thoughts, the three airbender children rushed over to her with the biggest smiles, riding on their little air scooters. They jumped off their scooters and landed safely as they reached the Avatar.

"So, Korra," the eldest of the three spoke, "How was lunch?"

Korra smiled with the tiniest blush, and shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess that means it went well."

Ikki chirped up, "Isn't Mako romanti -" and Jinora promptly shot her hand up to her sister's mouth.

"Anywaaay," Jinora laughed nervously, "Guess what?"

"Your mommy and daddy are coming to visit us!" Meelo shouted happily.

* * *

_**A/N: **__Two of you (PrincessShakyra and Jayliyah) had mentioned that this reminded you of the movie, "_The Vow"._ I have yet to see that movie, but I was curious and looked it up (on Wikipedia, the least credible source of information in the world :P) - oddly enough, my story is a bit like it. I find it most interesting that "The Vow" is based off of a true story. It just goes to show you that nothing is new under the sun, and situations like these (i.e., amnesia of your true lover) really _do _happen. Horrible things can happen at any time, especially when you least expect it, but they make great stories to write about, wouldn't you agree? :)_

_So, how was this chapter? It's sort of a cliffhanger again. :P Korra's parents are coming to town. Will there be some sort of confrontation between Mako and the Avatar's parents? Keep reading to find out!_

_Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it - I appreciate either one. :_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Previously on "Say My Name":**_

_Mako asks Jinora, Ikki, and Tahno to not mention a single word of his and Korra's past relationship to the girl herself, even though such a decision is killing him on the inside. Korra begins to ponder about the young man who claims they were just friends before she forgot him. She puts her thoughts of the firebender aside as she learns her parents are coming to visit …_

* * *

Korra's eyes widened in surprise at the news of her parents coming to visit, but quickly changed into a look of disbelief.

_My _parents_ are coming to town?_ she asked herself. _That's weird._ _I don't think they've ever been outside of the South Pole before. _

Korra looked down at Jinora as she heard a crinkling sound of paper, and the young girl pulled out an envelope, handing it to the Avatar. Korra examined it curiously as it appeared torn in some places and terribly crumpled up, and her eyebrow lifted quizzically at Jinora.

"Sorry about it being already open," Jinora apologized sheepishly. Her eyes darted accusingly to her two younger siblings, and said, "Ikki and Meelo were fighting over who would hand it to you. This was the result," she sighed. "Oh, and we sorta … peeked at what was inside … Sorry."

Korra simply shrugged as a way of saying, "It's fine", and she took out the letter, flattening out the creases on her thigh. She stared at the first few words which were neat, legible, and clean. She guessed it was her mother's penmanship, but laughed to herself if this beautiful handwriting had actually been her father's. The letter read:

_Dear Korra,_

_How have you been, sweetie? We heard about the horrible condition you were in not too long ago. In fact, the entire world knew. We were so, so worried that you weren't going to wake up from that coma, but miraculously you did! You don't know how relieved we were to hear that! Your father even shouted, "That's my girl! She's not a quitter! Just like her old man!" Ha ha ha! Well, there's no doubt that you are definitely your father's daughter._

_But now you can't speak? Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. But hopefully this won't hinder you from your Avatar duties. You've always been a tough girl, and confident in all that you do. Your father and I are proud of you, and I know that being mute won't stop you from keeping peace in the world._

_By the way, your dad and I are planning to visit very soon, though we're not sure when we'll arrive. We already asked Tenzin ahead of time, and he kindly agreed, so we'll be staying at Air Temple Island with you and his family. See you then! And remember, we love you _so_ much!_

_Love,_

_Mom_

Korra smiled as she finished reading the letter, realizing how much she truly missed her parents. Even though they hadn't been around for most of her childhood - due to her early Avatar training and confinement from the world - her parents had always supported their little girl. She didn't care how lame or cheesy it sounded, but in her heart her parents were always there, right behind her in spirit.

She was about to fold the letter back into the envelope, when one of the kids pointed out, "Korra, there's something written on the back!" The teenager slowly turned the letter over, a few sentences roughly written at the top of the page. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion as the small note read:

_P.S. Korra! How are you? You keeping that boy in check? Ha ha ha!_

_Dad_

* * *

Mako was at the Probending Arena, his amber eyes staring out to the bay, fixated once again on Air Temple Island. He had just realized that he had wandered to the spot he and Korra kissed for the very first time … and where they had broken his younger brother's heart. He remembered that night as if it was only yesterday, the girl he had confused feelings for impulsively kissing him mid-sentence. And he had returned it, but of course at the time he wasn't sure why.

Without thinking, he put his fingers to his lips, and closed his eyes, reminiscing on how he felt at that moment. At first, he was shocked when her lips touched his, his eyes shot open in complete surprise. But he had relaxed, reacting upon his emotions, his feelings, deepening the kiss she had started. His mind at the time was a complete blank. In fact, he wasn't quite sure _what_ he was thinking. The only thought he had in his mind was Korra, and _only_ Korra. Thoughts of his past, his brother, Asami - the girl he was dating - and Probending had all flown out the window. The feeling of his heart beating fast, his temperature rising with each second … Was this love? Or just sick passion? He didn't understand, and he couldn't understand, but he cared not in the least, for it was Korra. His mind had finally returned to reality when they had discovered Bolin was watching, and he had remembered the heartbroken look on his face. How could he do that to his only kin, his own brother? He was quick to blame Korra, who truthfully _was_ at fault, but he was also to blame, and Korra had pointed that out. He couldn't think of a single comeback, and instead clenched his fists and growled in frustration. He _did_ kiss her back. But why?

_I was such an idiot,_ he thought angrily at himself. His love for her at that time was lying dormant, subconsciously burying it further down his heart. It took him so long to finally realize the feelings he had for the young Avatar, that it was more than just "like", it was "love". Without a doubt, the young man was deeply in love with her. But how was he expressing that love? Attacking her was one of the worst mistakes he ever made in his life, in truth, it may have been _the _worst. When she had finally woken up from her coma, he was completely guilt-ridden as her being mute was undeniably his fault. He had tried to make things right - however, the memory would always haunt him - by reteaching her how to speak again, so that he could once again hear her voice, and hear her say his name. But it came to a complete halt as she practically sacrificed herself to save his life, when all that could've been avoided if he had never left in a huff, aware that Korra was mute and couldn't be heard that easily. His heart almost broke in two as he learned she no longer remembered him, but he soon believed that maybe this was punishment for all that he had done to her.

It hurt him that he chose to stay friends with the very girl he loved, his heart aching and hurting as if one was punching him constantly in the chest, the pain unlike any other he had felt before. And he hated it. But he believed that he was doing it for her sake, that hopefully she would eventually find a suitable man for her other than himself, their love for one another being a distant memory.

He stood there frozen in place, the cool breeze running down his spine, goosebumps forming on his light skin. His eyes were gazing at the island, but the only image he could see was Korra - her tan skin and wavy dark hair, her bright cerulean eyes reminiscent of the heavens above, and her smile: the smile that wins him over every time, the smile so contagious it forces him to smile as well.

"I want to love you forever, Korra," he whispered to himself. "But … that's no longer a choice." He wanted to cry as he stood there, alone in silence, but not a single tear ran down his face. He figured he had cried so much already, that his eyes were now dry of tears, that he had cried all the tears he would ever cry in this lifetime. But as he slowly turned to head to the attic, he failed to notice the small, lone tear that rolled off his cheek and onto the ground he walked on.

* * *

"Hey, Mako!" Bolin called as his brother came up the stairs to the attic.

"Hey, Bo," Mako returned, forcing out a weak smile.

"Sooooo. How was it? Did you talk to Korra?"

Mako nodded weakly and slumped on the couch, replying quietly,"Yeah, I talked to her," and he exasperated a sigh.

"So, you took my advice?" Bolin asked curiously, walking over to his older brother.

"Mm," was Mako's response. He straightened up, his body bent forwards, and his hands folded between his spread legs. "I followed your advice," Mako began, avoiding his little brother's eyes, "but it's … a bit different from what you suggested. I'm starting over as friends," he said in a low tone.

"Starting over as friends?" Bolin scratched his head confusedly. "Oh, I get it! You're planning to start off as friends and then build your way up to -"

"No, Bo," Mako shook his head, cutting him short. "Just friends. Period. And nothing more." The pain once again resurfaced in the left side of his chest, biting his lip back to keep it from hurting.

Bolin stared at his brother as if he was growing a second head, absolutely flabbergasted at Mako's absurd decision. The earthbender shook his head, trying to make sense of all this.

"Wait, wait wait," Bolin said, his hands shaking back and forth in front of him. "So you went from ending your relationship with her … to staying friends? Is it just me, or are you talking crazy talk?"

"Bo, I -"

"I know, I know," Bolin cut in impatiently. "You hurt her, and you feel really bad and stuff. But_ c'mon,_ bro. Is that really what you wanna do? Just be friends for life?"

"It doesn't matter what I _want_ to do. I'm doing what's best."

_"Is_ it, Mako?"

"Yes, Bolin," the firebender replied, anger rising within him. "It _is_ the best decision. You just don't understand. I'm DONE with this conversation."

"I may not understand how you're feeling, but I know you're hurting, bro," the young earthbender replied, his face softening with great concern for his brother.

_"Enough,_ Bolin. I don't want to talk about this anymore," Mako said through gritted teeth, his hands now clenched in irritation.

"You're not making the right choice, and you know it."

Mako stood up from the couch, replying in an impatient tone, "I know what I'm doing. You just don't understand."

"Well, I _know_ you."

"No, you DON'T know me! Not well enough!"

"What? How could you say that? Mako, we've been brothers all our lives. We lived on the streets together as orphans. But I know that after what happened to Mom and Dad, you don't talk to anyone about your feelings. You're like some kinda … turtle or something, bottling all your feelings inside."

"Bolin, I'm being serious. Stop. Talking. You're making me angry," Mako growled.

"I just want you to talk to me! I'm your brother! You know I'm here for you. You love Korra, and it's killing you inside that you're choosing to just be her friend."

"Argh! What don't you understand that I don't want to talk about this anymore? Just DROP it!"

"I won't drop it because you're making a stupid mistake."

"It's MY decision, and -"

"I'm just here to help!" Bolin shouted defensively.

"I DON'T NEED MY BABY BROTHER'S HELP!" Mako screamed, jabbing his forefinger at his brother, flames in his orange eyes. "I'M FINE WITH THIS DECISION! I'M PERFECTLY HAPPY WITH THIS! SHE DOESN'T NEED SOMEONE LIKE ME! SHE … SHE NEEDS SOMEONE ELSE TO MAKE HER HAP -"

And before Mako could finish his sentence, Bolin had his arms around his brother, hoping to calm him down. Bolin could feel his brother's heartbeat beating hard and fast in his chest from anger, but slowly and gradually his heart returned to normal speed, and his breathing was no longer harsh and heavy.

"Bo?" Mako asked in a calm voice, looking down at the top of Bolin's head.

The earthbender released his grip from his brother, and looked at him with a sad smile. "Remember, Mako? From way back when? This was the same method I used to calm you down that one time when Mom and Dad died."

"Yeah, I remember," the firebender sighed, remembering the bitter memory: His 6 year-old brother hugging his older brother tightly, crying in Mako's chest, advising his brother to stop yelling and calm down.

Mako sighed deeply and seated himself back on the couch, bending forward and combing the front of his hair with his right hand. "But … I'm serious about my decision," he continued gravely. "Yes, I hate it, but … it's already been decided. Nothing's going to change my mind."

"I just want you to be happy, bro."

"I know. But, I'm happy with this," he lied. Mako glanced up at his little brother who stood before him, and for a moment he thought he saw his brother from 10 years ago, in his tattered clothing, his face completely filthy. But all of that was ignored when he saw the lighthearted grin plastered on his young face, his green eyes so full of youth and ignorant of the struggles of life, knowing his older brother would always be there to protect him.

"Thanks for the concern," Mako smiled sincerely, the image returning to the present. "You've always been there for me, haven't you?"

Bolin heartily laughed and replied with a goofy grin, "Yup. What would you do without dear old Bolin?"

* * *

Later that night as Republic City was sleeping, Mako was laying in his bed quietly, his mind focused profoundly on the girl he loved, missing the warmth he felt from simply holding her hand. He whispered the name "Korra" before falling into a deep sleep, dreaming of the memories he and the young Avatar shared.

Across the water on a faraway island, Korra was sleeping soundly in her bed, unknowingly mouthing the word, "Mako" in her sleep.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ I just want to give you guys a heads up: college for me is going to start next week (Woo-hoo! [?]), meaning that updates of this story will most likely be really slow. But don't worry! I won't stop or anything; just be patient and look out for my story! ;) Thanks for everything so far, guys! :D_

_So, how was chapter 8? (I have NO IDEA what Senna's and Tonraq's personalities are [since we've only seen them for several seconds on screen in season 1], so I chose the stereotypical overprotective-daddy-type and the sweet-kind-motherly-type. We'll evidently see more of them in season 2, but for now, this'll have to do. Sorry about the whole brother fight; arguments between your sibling are _never_ pretty. Trust me, I know.)_

_Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it - I appreciate either one! XD_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Previously on "Say My Name":**_

_Korra receives a letter from her parents that they are currently on their way to Air Temple Island. On the same day, Mako gets into an uncomfortable fight with his little brother, the firebender's mind unchanged about his wanting to stay friends with Korra._

* * *

"Wow, you're up pretty early," Bolin yawned, scratching his neck, approaching his brother who was busy making breakfast. Pabu scurried over to Bolin, mimicking his master by yawning as well.

"Couldn't really sleep," Mako mumbled, keeping his focus on the pan over the fire. He stood there in front of the stove, wearing his ragged white tank top and his pants and shoes, occasionally flipping the contents in the pan. The earthbender sniffed the air; the delicious aroma of food wafted from the cooking area.

"Mmmmmm … Whatcha makin'?" Bolin asked curiously, licking his lips in hunger, his stomach growling fiercely inside.

"Breakfast," Mako answered.

Bolin laughed, and sat down on the red sofa, saying, "Yeah, I _know_ that. But what are you _making_ for breakfast?"

"You'll see."

"Well, is it almost ready yet? 'Cause I'm starving!" Bolin responded eagerly, scratching the underside of Pabu's chin.

"Patience, bro."

Bolin looked out of the windows as he waited, gazing at the few clouds in the sky, squinting his eyes as he made contact with the bright sun. He watched as birds glided through the sky, and in the process he yawned again. He turned sideways to look out the window behind him, Air Temple Island clearly in view. He turned back to sit straight, and he stared at his brother's back, Mako not saying a single word this entire time. After a moment's silence, Bolin asked, "Soooo, what's the plan for today?"

"Huh? Oh, I was thinking of … seeing Korra again today," the firebender mumbled.

"Really?" Bolin exclaimed in surprise, causing Pabu to jump. The earthbender thought for a few seconds and continued, "Can I tag along? I haven't seen her in a while. And I have nothin' else planned today."

"Sure," Mako shrugged weakly. "You don't need to ask, y'know. She's your friend too."

"I know," Bolin said, scratching his cheek with his forefinger. "I just thought that … y'know, _maybe_ you wanted some … _alone time_ with her." He couldn't help but smile at the implication of his own words, and practically burst out laughing as his older brother turned around to glare at him.

* * *

It was past lunchtime when the two brothers arrived on Air Temple Island, Mako feeling curiously nervous to see Korra again. Bolin, on the other hand, was strangely excited to see his friend after not seeing her for what felt like weeks. As they reached the top of the steps, three airbender children were there to meet them. Ikki and Meelo were energetic as always, riding on their air scooters, playing a game of tag. Jinora was silently reading a book under the shade of a tree, ignoring her rowdy siblings. As she was going to change a page in her book, her eyes glanced up, and she noticed two familiar handsome young men approaching them. Meelo and Ikki were so engrossed in their game that they were oblivious to the fact that Mako and Bolin were walking towards them, and they rode their scooters far away from sight, taking their game elsewhere.

"Hey, guys!" Jinora called out to them after the shouts of her siblings had gone, and they waved back in return. "Korra's still training, but she'll be done soon," she explained, her eyes returning to the spot she left off.

Bolin lifted his eyebrows in interest, and asked, "How did you know that we wanted to see K -"

She snickered and replied, "Oh, please. Like you were coming here to play with me and my siblings. I'm not a little kid. Really, why else would you be here?" she grinned playfully, not missing Mako's face turn to one of slight embarrassment.

"By the way," the 11 year-old began, licking her finger to turn the page, "did you know Korra's parents are coming? They seem like nice people. I remember them from the South Pole, when we all went because Korra had her bending taken from that evil Amon person. Her mom was …"

Jinora continued talking away, but Mako had turned to stone at the mention of Korra's parents, his heart stopped in his chest, and his face blanched. "Korra's parents are coming," repeated numerous times in his head; the words became worse with each echo, sounding more and more like a curse.

_Why? _he asked himself, worry engulfing his entire being. _Why are they coming _now?

A sudden memory came into his mind, the memory of when he talked to Senna and Tonraq for the first time back at the South Pole those many months ago.

* * *

[Flashback]

"Hey! Korra!" Mako yelled as he was being tugged along by the wild, young Avatar, her hand tightly gripping his. "Seriously, where's the fire?" he shouted between breaths. Their feet crunched on the cold snow beneath them, the weather colder than Mako preferred.

She laughed in response, slowing down as they reached Naga. "Well, a sudden thought ran through my head," she panted. "We've been here for at least a few days, y'know?" She looked away, her face becoming bashful, and she muttered, "Since we're now … girlfriend and boyfriend, I thought that it would be a good idea for you to officially meet my parents …"

"No way," he immediately replied.

Korra pouted, taking offense. "Why not? You don't like my parents?"

"No, it's not like that," he reassured her. "It's just …" He paused, and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and resumed with a mumble, "Your parents … may not like _me." _

"What?" she laughed, as if it was the silliest thing she ever heard. "My parents would love you, Mako."

"I don't know," he replied, doubting his girlfriend's reassurance. "I mean … I'm just some guy from the street - a _street-rat,"_ he scoffed, spitting out the bitter word. "Your parents won't seem me as someone special, just like Hiroshi didn't see me suitable to be Asa -"

"Mako! Stop," she told him, shaking her head. Her voice became soft as she continued on. "Listen. You are _not_ some guy from the street. You may have grown up as an orphan on the streets, but look at who you are _now._ You're … Mako, the Probending star of the Fire Ferrets; you're Mako, a hero of Republic City; and …" she paused, hugging Mako tightly, her face buried in his coat. "And you're Mako, the boyfriend of the Avatar. _My _boyfriend." He smiled, and wrapped his arms around her, swinging her around, just like the time he did when she regained her bending. He set her down on the snow, bending down to kiss her on the lips. As they broke from the kiss, Korra smiled, saying, "Now, let's go see my parents."

He frowned and asked, "Do you have to be so persistent?"

"Do you have to be so negative?" she returned with a smirk, and he laughed. Suddenly, she punched him on the arm, taking him by surprise.

"What was that for?" he questioned, rubbing where she hit him.

She hoisted herself on Naga's back, and replied, _"That's_ for comparing my parents to Hiroshi." As he sat himself behind Korra, and put his arms around her waist, she added with a stern tone, "Also, as much as I love Asami as a friend, _don't _ever mention her as your past girlfriend or anything."

"Jealous?" he chuckled. She blushed and mentioned something unintelligible, and Mako laughed even louder as a result. She restrained herself from elbowing him in the stomach, but instead forced Naga to jerk forward, and Mako nearly fell off the polar bear dog.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" he growled, holding onto her tighter.

"You know me so well," she grinned, having the last laugh.

The ride to her parents' house - _her_ house - didn't take that long, but to Mako it felt like hours, and he became more and more nervous as time went by. At one point, Korra's voice strained out a, "Mako! I. Can't. Breathe." He lessened the grip around her waist, unaware that he had been gradually tightening his arms around her. He was getting nervous with each passing minute, trying to calm himself down, which was frankly becoming a difficult task.

_Why am I acting like this?_ he asked himself. _There's nothing to worry about, Mako. It's just Korra's parents. Her dad didn't look scary or threatening. And her mom looked kind and sweet. There's nothing to worry about._

"We're here!" Korra informed him, and Naga slowed her pace as several igloo homes came into view. "My house is riiiiiggghhtt … there!" she pointed out. The couple dismounted from the polar bear dog several feet away from the house. Korra told Naga to stay put, and the dog obeyed, and the couple approached the house quietly. As Korra went to knock on the front door, Mako grabbed her arm in midair.

"What's wrong?" she asked concernedly.

He let go of her arm and muttered, "I'm kinda unsure of all this."

"Unsure? Mako. They're my _parents,"_ she explained slowly, a hand rested on her hip. "They're not gonna eat you alive," she joked.

_I sure hope not, _he thought within himself, and the door opened suddenly, Korra's mother standing in the doorway. Korra was practically the spitting image of her mother, sharing her height as well.

"I knew I heard voices," Senna smiled, and she pulled her daughter in for a quick hug. She turned to Mako and asked, "So, who is this young man beside you?"

"I'm guessing that's her boyfriend, am I right?" a low voice from behind the couple said, patting Mako's shoulder, causing the firebender to tense in surprise.

"C'mon. Let's all go inside," Senna suggested. "It's warmer in here."

Mako was unnerved by the whole situation, his heart beating faster than it should, but when he entered their house his body relaxed as he examined their simple, humble home. It was clearly unlike Asami's mansion - overwhelmingly huge and abundant with luxuries and riches - but instead it was small and comfortable, cozy, and he felt right at home. It was still somewhat cold inside the house, but it wasn't bone-chilling as it was outside.

"We can sit down at this table," Senna said, directing them all to the small table in the next room. She then left the room as the rest of them seated themselves, and quickly returned with four cups of hot tea. "There you go," Senna smiled sweetly, setting the small teacups in front of each of them.

"Thank you," Mako smiled back.

"You have a nice smile," she complimented, causing the firebender's ears to turn a shade of pink, and he took a quick sip of his tea.

"So," Korra's father started, as if to make small talk, "have you two kissed yet?"

Mako practically spit out the liquid back in his cup, swallowing hard on the drink stuck in his throat, trying his best to clear it.

_How many times have we kissed now? _he asked himself, his thoughts whirling around in his head at the speed of light. _Three times - at the Probending Arena (well, she started it, but I _did_ return it), three days ago, and today. Was I not supposed to? Is he gonna kill me? _he inwardly dreaded, his eyes on everything but Korra's parents.

"Hm. I'm gonna take that as a 'Yes'," Tonraq laughed heartily, and his wife hiding her giggles behind her drink.

"Agh! Mom! Dad!" Korra yelled, slamming her fists on the table, absolutely flustered and feeling embarrassed for her boyfriend.

"Oh, just calm down, Korra," Senna replied. "Your dad was just teasing." Her daughter huffed, and looked away, chugging down the rest of her tea in a non-ladylike fashion, but could only swallow less than half of it as she screamed out, "HOT! HOT! HOT!" burning her tongue and lips. Mako's head swerved towards Korra, his face full of worry.

"Seriously, Korra! It's hot!" he informed her little too late.

She rolled her eyes and sarcastically remarked, "Yeah? Danks faa da memo. (Thanks for the memo.)" He ignored her last comment, pulling her face closer to his with his fingerless glove under her chin, examining her burnt lips. He rubbed her lips with his thumb, and she whimpered, "Alch! Dab huts! (Ouch! That hurts!)"

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized. He sighed and shook his head. "You always do things without thinking. You're even a danger to yourself," he chuckled, pulling her body closer to his. She pouted at this with her slightly red, puffy lips, and he laughed at the spectacle, deserving a gentle punch below the shoulder. The young couple had apparently forgotten the parents' existence for the moment, the two absorbed in each others' eyes. Senna and Tonraq exchanged smiles as they watched their daughter and her boyfriend from across the table.

"You take good care of her, don't you?" Tonraq asked.

Mako laughed, "Well, I try. But she can be a handful sometimes," he muttered jokingly, earning him a glare from his girlfriend.

"I think she chose right. Don't you think so, Tonraq?"

"Yes," he agreed with his wife. "I want you to take extra care of our little girl," he advised the young man in front of him, who nodded and said, "I will."

Tonraq's face suddenly became grave as he continued, "And if I hear you hurt her in any way, _I_ won't hesitate to _end_ you. Understand?"

Mako gulped and answered with a weak, "Yes, sir."

[End of Flashback]

* * *

Mako was brought out of his thoughts as Jinora said, "Oh! There she is!" The small girl smiled, standing up from underneath the tree, and dusting herself off. Korra was in her normal Water Tribe getup, everything but her parka as it was too warm to wear that. Jinora shut her book closed, going over to meet Korra. As she was advancing past the Avatar, she whispered, "You're so lucky to have two guys waiting for you," and she giggled as the tan girl's face turned the slightest red with a menacing glare that read, "I'm. Going. To hurt. You." The little girl was unfazed by the threat, going on her merry way, wondering if her love life would be like Korra's in the future.

The tan girl turned as her name was being addressed, clearing her throat to compose herself.

"Korra!" Bolin hugged her gently, his lips curving to a big smile. "I haven't seen you in like … forever!" he shouted, throwing his arms up in the air. She laughed with her head held high, her hands resting on her hips. Mako stood there in silence, hiding his own smile in his scarf, the thought of her parents pushed to the back of his mind. He wasn't aware how much he missed hearing her laugh - the only sound that could be heard from her mouth. She gave Mako a genuine smile, and he returned it with one of his own, more affectionate than he was trying to give, causing Korra to blush. As the two stared into each others' eyes, Bolin's eyes switched from one person to the other, grinning widely.

"Sooooo, Korra," the earthbender drawled out, a devious glint in his eyes, "My brother over here wanted to take you out today …" pointing at said person with his thumb, whose eyes became wide in utter surprise. Mako grabbed the back of his brother's shirt, and angrily hissed, "Don't tell me you came here just to do _that?"_

"What?" Bolin asked innocently, feigning ignorance. Korra folded her arms, giving the firebender a skeptical look.

_He took me out to lunch the other day, and now he wants to take me out _again?

"Um … I," the tall young man began, looking for words. "That's not -"

"Of _course_ he wants to take you out," Bolin grinned, putting a tight arm around his brother. "He's just too nervous to WAAA!" He screamed as Mako suddenly threw a small ball of fire at his loudmouth-of-a-brother's feet, stumbling backwards as he jumped back to dodge it.

"Hey! What was that for?" Bolin shouted.

Mako returned in a harsh whisper, "You're speaking more than necessary."

The earthbender whispered back, "C'mon, Mako. It won't hurt." His face turned to Korra's and he proposed in a louder tone, "How about we all go together?" He pulled his brother and Korra closer to him, each smashed to his sides, and he happily said, "We'll go as friends just hanging out together! Nothing strange about that. _Right?"_

Korra shot Bolin a quizzical look, and Mako groaned, not liking this idea in the least.

* * *

On the ferry ride back to Republic City, Bolin was chatting away with Korra about all that had happened to him over the past two weeks, mentioning his pet, Pabu, and the struggles of giving him a bath, to which Korra laughed. She communicated with the earthbender using a small notepad and pen that she "borrowed" from one of the Air Acolytes on Air Temple Island. Mako couldn't help but feel a bit jealous that his brother was comfortably talking to Korra like old friends, somewhat annoyed that they were both ignoring his presence, feeling like a third wheel. He was leaning on the rail of the ferry, brooding, with his hands in his pockets, watching his little brother and the Avatar in silence. The ferry slowly moved through the water, the waves calm and gentle against the boat. Mako decided to close his eyes and rest for a bit, not enjoying Bolin's idea of "hanging out" so far.

Korra and Bolin turned to look at Mako with raised eyebrows, and Korra wrote down, "That silent guy over there is your brother?"

"Yup," he whispered. "Hard to believe, huh? He can sometimes be a stick in the mud, but he's a cool guy once you get to know him."

"I don't know …" she wrote back. "He said we were friends, but I can't imagine being friends with a guy that serious. Did we get along?"

"Starting out was a bit rough for you guys," Bolin answered truthfully, "and Mako didn't really give a great first impression," he laughed, scratching the back of his head. "But you guys became close …" He paused, and cupped a hand to his face, whispering even softer, "And I mean _really_ close."

She lifted an eyebrow, and scribbled down, "What do you mean?"

Before Bolin could answer, people were already pushing past them, rushing to get off the ferry in a hurry. Mako approached the two, asking impatiently, "What are you guys doing? Everyone's getting off now." Korra wished to inquire more of what Bolin meant, but gave it up, walking to the ramp to get off the boat, the brothers following directly behind.

As they made it off the pier and away from the crowd of people coming off and on the ferry, Bolin suddenly let out a fake gasp, looking at the invisible watch on his arm. "Oh, no! Look at the time! I forgot that I'm meeting some of my fangirls today!" His acting skills weren't that great.

"What!" Mako exclaimed with incredulity and anger. "Your _fangirls?_ Earlier today you told me you had no other plans!"

"Guess I forgot," he replied, scratching his chin. "See ya! Don't have too much fun without me, you two!" he grinned, and he waved, disappearing from sight as fast as he could.

_That little -! _Mako screamed within himself, letting out an irritated grunt from his nose, gritting his teeth. _He planned this from the very beginning!_

Korra tapped his shoulder and held up her notepad, the message reading, "So, what now?" Mako exasperated a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, desperately wanting to strangle his brother at the moment. The situation was now awkward as Korra still wasn't accustomed to being alone with Mako. He sighed once again, staring into her deep, blue eyes. His body relaxed in defeat, and he shook his head.

"Since we're here already, we might as well walk around. No point in going back." She nodded in agreement and promptly followed him, neither knowing where they were going.

* * *

Korra and Mako were aimlessly walking around the city, both occasionally being stopped by fans of the Fire Ferrets as well as those who were fans of the Avatar. At one point, the paparazzi and news reporters had found and stopped the two, and bombarded them with all kinds of questions. But as one person questioned Korra's relationship with the Fire Ferret Captain, Mako had grabbed her arm, looking for the nearest escape route. Korra wanted to protest, wanted to scream, "Let go of me!" but unfortunately she couldn't, and fighting him was no use, and in the end let Mako drag her to who-knows-where.

Much to Korra's dislike, Mako had said little to nothing the entire time they were out together, even now, and she wished Bolin hadn't ditched her with his stoic, older brother. She had to admit that this young man was really quite the looker, but the fact that he was expressionless the majority of the time and was tugging her along stuck out more than his exceptionally good looks.

When he thought it was safe and no one was following them, he released the grip from her arm. They hadn't gone that far, and they observed their surroundings, the location very familiar to the both of them.

To put it simply, the scenery was beautiful. The trees were shades of different colors, shapes, and sizes, full of life and abundant with leaves. The leaves were either a distinct dark green, a bright yellow, or a red orange tinge. The grass was a light green, cleanly cut and absent of weeds. A wide stone path snaked through the park, several bridges of different designs placed over the shallow lake, connecting small bodies of land. A fountain could be seen somewhere in the distance, and Republic City's tall buildings served as the backdrop. There were only a handful of people here, some walking just for the exercise, others sitting under the trees just for the peace and quiet, a few as couples hand-in-hand on a romantic stroll, etc.

"The park," Mako murmured, finally realizing where they had ended up. "We can walk through here, if you want."

Korra shrugged in response, not caring what they did now. She took the lead with her hands behind her head, gazing at passersby and the colorful leaves of the trees. Mako walked right beside her, his eyes inconspicuously looking sideways at the Avatar. After several minutes, Korra had then set her arms down by her sides, as the lack of blood in her arms were making the strength in them weak. Mako's eyes trailed down to the girl's hands, and without thinking, was slowly reaching for her free hand. He quickly caught himself, biting back at the temptation, and he turned his face away with a sad expression, stuffing both hands in his pockets, trying to focus on something other than her.

_What am I doing?_ he asked himself. _If I held her hand, who knows how she would've reacted. We're not lovers anymore, Mako. Get it through your thick skull._

As they continued walking in silence, they reached the huge fountain set in the middle of the park, and Korra's immediate thought was,_ I've been here before._ When she turned her head, she stopped as a particular tree of red leaves caught her attention. She wasn't sure why, but she recognized that tree. She approached it, looking it up and down, examining it as if she was a scientist studying an odd specimen.

"What're you doing?" Mako asked, unsure of what was going through her head.

She took out her notepad and pen, and wrote, "I know this sounds weird, but I know that tree."

"You _know _this tree?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Korra. There are _hundreds_ of trees that look just like it."

She pouted and wrote down, "I KNOW what I'm talking about." _I was waiting, _she thought. _I slept the night here … waiting for that Equalist moron with the megaphone the next morning. Was I … alone?_

"Let's just rest here," Mako suggested. "We've been walking for a while now."

They sat underneath the tree, leaning on its wide trunk, Mako sitting closer than she'd like. Korra sat cross-legged, her palms resting on her knees; Mako folded his arms across his chest, his right leg over the other, his eyes shut closed. Korra couldn't stand the unbearable silence, and she looked around, thinking of a topic they could possibly discuss. She didn't know the young man well enough, and being with him was rather nerve-racking, and the curious fast beating of her heart wasn't helping the situation either. She tilted her head towards the quiet firebender, eyeing the red scarf he wore around his neck. She took out her notepad and began to scribble a question, and his eyes opened slowly as he heard the sounds of a pen on paper. She thrusted the paper in his face, and he read aloud, "'Why do you always wear that scarf? I always see you with it, and it's usually not that cold.'" He remembered that he had only told Asami about his scarf, but never once told Korra.

"It was my father's scarf," he explained in a soft voice to the tan girl. "They died when I was young."

Korra began scribbling more in her notepad, and when she handed it to him, his eyes grew wide in astonishment at her words: "You were eight, right? Your parents were mugged by a firebender, and cut down right in front of you?" His eyes shifted to her strikingly big blue ones, the only word, "How?" escaping his mouth. She wrote, "You told me before, didn't you?"

Mako had, in fact, only told her this once, which was several months ago during the Equalist Revolution. He recalled the memory: he and Korra were alone in the park late that night, the night Bolin was captured. They decided to stay the night at the park, their only lead an Equalist speaker who shows up at the park. He and Korra sat underneath a tree, the fountain straight ahead of them …

_This _is _the tree,_ he thought, the revelation coming to him. _She remembers … or at least, some of it, _he smiled.

"So, that scarf's really important to you, huh?" her next message said.

"Yeah," he nodded. "It's one of the three most important things in my life." Korra raised three fingers and an eyebrow, with a slight head tilt.

He nodded once again. "Yeah, three. My dad's scarf, Bolin, and -" he stopped himself as he was about to say "You", but instead went with, "and my new friends."

"Kinda cheesy, don'tcha think?" her note read, a smirk evident on her pretty face.

"I mean it, though." She nodded in understanding, but laughed anyway. She rested her head against the trunk, her nose pointed up in the air. She closed her eyes, taking in the peace and quiet, and she let out a sigh of content, her legs now stretched out in front of her. The air had become considerably cooler, and she could only hear the sounds of the leaves rustling in the wind, the footsteps of passersby and their chats as they walked by, and the water of the fountain flowing without cease.

Mako slowly moved his head to look at hers, however, he could only view the profile of her face from his angle. Mako had to admit that although Korra wasn't as pretty as Asami, she was definitely beautiful in her own right. She was headstrong, confident, and proud personality wise, and was the most loyal, selfless, and brave person he had ever met, and he made a point of telling her that long ago. The sun that shone through the leaves reflected off her tan skin, and in his eyes, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life.

His heart was beating uncontrollably in his chest, and his body began to move on its own, his face inching closer and closer to hers. He shut his eyes as their lips were centimeters apart, but his eyes shot open and he froze when he heard a little boy say, "Eewww! Momma, look!"

"Lee! Ssshh! And don't point - it's rude," the boy's mother scolded, taking his hand and shuffling away.

Korra's eyes had opened, but well after Mako had already turned his head away. She looked at him and noticed his head was faced in the other direction, his face buried deep in his red scarf. She could've sworn that for a brief moment his presence was much closer than before, feeling his warm breath on her skin. The faint scent of ember and men's cologne had invaded the air for a few seconds, but had disappeared as quick as it had came.

_What was he doing? _she thought to herself.

"We should probably head back," he mumbled in his scarf, and stood up, Korra doing the same. Not once did the firebender utter a single word after that or face Korra as they left the park and entered the busy streets of the city.

* * *

They headed for the docks, Mako taking the lead this time, Korra trailing behind. They had only been out for a few hours, and Korra had not enjoyed any of it. Mako wasn't one for fun - in truth he was downright boring - and he rarely talked. She preferred Bolin over Mako any day, but apparently her heart and her gut thought otherwise. She couldn't comprehend why, but sometimes she would get a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach when he looked at her, feeling sort of shy, and she could never control the blush surfacing to her cheeks. This feeling was new to her, and it bothered her intensely.

Deep in her thoughts, she sneezed and shivered, failing to realize the drop in temperature. She rubbed the bottom of her nose vigorously back and forth with her index finger, sniffing up the snot escaping her nostrils. Mako stopped in his tracks as he heard the sudden halt of her footsteps, and he turned around, giving her a concerned look, and out of habit from the times they had dated and she refused to bring her parka, he took the scarf from his neck and gently set it on her bare shoulders. She glanced up at him with a surprised expression, the sudden realization coming to him.

"Sorry," he instantly apologized. He reached for his scarf, but she grabbed his wrist, shaking her head. She quickly took out her notepad and pen, writing down, "It's fine, but isn't this scarf important to you?"

He smiled. "Yeah. It is. But you can wear it for now."

She grinned as a way of saying thanks, wrapping the scarf tighter around her neck. They continued on their way, his pace matching hers. She pulled up the scarf to her nose, burying her face as a result, looking at Mako in the corner of her eyes.

_He's not such a bad guy, _she thought. _He's really … sweet._ And she blushed, flattered at the young man's actions, and she wondered when she became such a girl.

As they reached the docks, the ferry was loading its last passengers, and Korra hurried, waving goodbye to the fiirebender who gave his farewells. She spun on her heel as she remembered that she still had his scarf, and she ran back to him. As she was hurrying to take it off her neck, he held up a hand to hers, and told her, "Just return it when we see each other again." He glanced up at the sky that was forming forming dark clouds, and resumed saying, "Looks like you're gonna need it."

She gave him a simple nod and a farewell salute, rushing to the ferry in the nick of time. On the boat, she took her place in the front, leaning forward with one hand on the rail, the other clutching onto the scarf for dear life.

* * *

Later that day, a heavy storm was rolling in … and Korra's parents had finally arrived.

* * *

_**A/N: **__Okay, guys. __From here on out, updates will be sssllllloooooowww. Probably. And can anyone say, "Cliffhanger"? :P_

_So, how was this chapter? Phew! It was pretty long, huh? (Over 5,500 words O_O. Sorry 'bout that.) I gotta say, it was hard to write. (There was too much dialogue in this chapter for my taste. Oh, well. :P) Did it sound rushed at all? By the way, I apologize for the lack of Angst at the moment - it's just taking a long time to get there; I'm building up to it. And I stink at romance … I really, REALLY do. But I try the best I can. :)  
_

_Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it - I appreciate either one! XD_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Previously on "Say My Name":**_

_Bolin schemed a plan that forced Korra and Mako to "hang out" together, much to their dislike. However, there is good that comes out of it - Korra's memories of Mako are slowly coming back to her. At this point, her heart remembers the young firebender, but her mind does not. And now, her parents have finally arrived._

* * *

Mako trudged up the stairs to the Probending attic, soaked to the bone, his clothes sticking to his pale skin uncomfortably. The storm had unfortunately come in faster than he had expected, and it began to pour heavily five minutes after he had seen Korra off. He desperately wanted to be out of his wet clothes as soon as possible and in his dry bed, underneath the warmth of his blanket. He heard the low rumble of thunder as he blindly advanced up the dark staircase, heading to the light coming from the brothers' attic.

The immediate thought of Korra ran through his mind, worrying more than wondering if she had made it home alright. When it came to Korra, he was always unnecessarily worrying about her – especially now as she could no longer talk, which was entirely his fault as he always reminded himself. His other cause for worry was the fact that she was deathly afraid of thunder – a secret she made him swear not to tell any other soul, not even his brother, Bolin.

* * *

[Flashback]

Korra's eyes glanced upward, fascinated by the dark ominous clouds forming in the sky above her. She danced around the little droplets of rain that fell from the heavens, loving the feel of water on her warm skin. Her boyfriend was leaning against a tall tree, avoiding the drizzle as best he could, eyeing the energetic girl with a deadpan expression.

The couple had decided to stroll through the park – in actuality, Korra had dragged Mako here – however, neither was expecting rain in the forecast. The weather had been unquestionably perfect all day: sunshine and just a few clouds, and a light, cool breeze that barely rustled the trees. The sudden incoming storm was unexpected, but Korra wouldn't let it ruin her day.

It was cold outside, but not unbearable. The firebender was astonished that Korra could stand in this weather without her parka, but maybe that was due to her living most of her life in a much colder environment. The air smelled distinctly of rain, the scent so intoxicating that one could practically taste it.

The Avatar looked Mako's way, concerned as to why he was standing static against the tree.

"What's wrong?" she inquired as she waltzed his way. "You brooding over something?" she teased with a playful grin, and Mako rolled his eyes, displeased with her last statement.

"I don't _brood,"_ he refuted with folded arms and an unamused face. "I don't like the rain."

She cocked an eyebrow, and her grin spread wider across her face. "You just don't like getting wet," she revealed ecstatically.

The firebender kept a straight face as he flatly responded, "Yeah. So what?"

She spun around on her heel, her back facing her boyfriend with her hands folded behind her. "Who knew the 'cool under fire' guy was such a sissy," she shrugged and whispered in a slight chuckle, purposefully loud enough for the firebender to hear.

He remained aloof as he responded to her last remark. "There's nothing wrong with disliking the rain," he returned with annoyance. "I didn't come to the park to get wet," he added, eyes glued on his childish girlfriend who resumed playing in the rain.

"It's just a little drizzle," she affirmed as she spread her arms away from herself, letting the water drop on her dark skin. She walked back to her boyfriend, standing directly in front of his motionless figure. "Soooo," she drawled, "the little fire boy is afraid to get a little wet," she taunted in a demeaning manner, tapping his nose with her forefinger, stifling a laugh as she heard him exhale an annoyed growl. She shot him a mischievous smile before spraying him with water she extracted off her arms.

"Agh! Hey!" he spluttered angrily, turning his head to the side as he defensively put up a hand to his face. When she had finished her little water attack, he wiped the invasive liquid off his face with his hand, glaring down at the girl who was finding this much funnier than it actually was.

"You're such a child," he accused as he wiped the rest of his face dry with his sleeve.

She pouted – as she always did when hearing something disagreeable – her hands resting on her hips as she leaned her head his way. "I'm just teasing, Mako. Learn to have a little fun."

He scoffed. "Please tell me _how_ spraying water on my face is 'fun'?" flicking the leftover water off his hands.

"Well, it's fun for _me,"_ she snickered, and he looked away with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, not in the least amused. Korra shook her head and added, "Oh, c'mon. Don't be such a baby –" A sudden loud clap of thunder sounded directly above them, and the Avatar let out a short shriek as she stiffened in surprise, her face becoming unusually pale.

Mako stared at her as she tried to compose herself, a smirk growing on his face as he asked, "You were saying?" She glared at the firebender as she was about to snap something back to him, but jumped as another boom of thunder filled the air around them, and she subconsciously fell to a fetal position, covering her ears frantically with her hands.

The young man's face softened with concern as he stared at her trembling frame, removing himself from the tree as he crouched down to her left. "You okay, Korra?" He put an arm around her bare shoulders, feeling her fear.

She raised her head to meet his eyes – those fiery, stoic eyes of his she absolutely adored, but now wished to avoid. "W-what?" her mind unfocused and scattered. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine," she managed to say.

"You're shaking," he frowned.

"I'm just cold," she huffed, hoping it was a reasonable enough response.

His face became oddly serious. "You never told me you were scared of thunder."

The young woman's face became hostile before facing the other direction. "I'm not _afraid_ of anything," she proclaimed proudly, though Mako was entirely unconvinced. "And I'm definitely not afraid of thunder," she lied under her breath, hugging her legs tighter as her knees met her buxumous chest.

Mako sighed, ignoring the drizzle he was now standing in as his focus was mainly on his girlfriend at the current moment. "It's okay to be afraid, y'know," tightening his grip around her shoulders, assuring her that he was here for her.

"Look, I'm not afraid, Mako," she argued as she slowly stood from her position, the firebender doing the same. She went to face him, her hands settled firmly on her hips, shifting her weight to one leg. "Only children are afraid of thunder, and I am NOT a child." Thunder once again came unexpectedly, this one being the loudest, and Korra jumped and lost her balance, landing in Mako's embrace. The firebender landed on his bottom as he fell to the ground, holding tightly onto the girl in his arms.

She shook uncontrollably in his firm arms and admitted repeatedly, "I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid," digging her nails in his coat as she buried her face in his chest. He scooped her up in his arms bridal-style, standing up and walking back to the tall tree. He reclined his back to its trunk, setting Korra in his lap and pulling her closer to him. He stayed silent as he combed his hand through her damp hair, slightly rocking her back and forth to calm her.

"It's too loud," she whispered in a soft voice, barely audible for Mako to hear. "It's s-scary," she stuttered.

He nodded in understanding. "I know," he whispered as he rubbed up and down her back. He remembered when he too used to have a fear of thunder as a small child. He recalled the many stormy nights of when his mother used to comfort him whenever he hid in the corner of his room to escape the cursed loud noise. He recalled how warm his mother's embrace felt as she rocked his lithe frame for hours until sleep finally took him. However, when his parents had died, he had no one to comfort him, and he realized that he had to quickly get over his fear, which he successfully did over no time at all. He empathized with the scared girl in his arms, comprehending every bit of the fear he once harbored for thunder.

Another boom from the sky above and the Avatar whimpered into the firebender's coat, cursing herself for being such a coward. What happened to the tough girl everyone knew? The tomboy who claimed to be afraid of nothing?

_She acts tough, but she's still only human,_ he thought. _Avatar or not, she has fears like everyone else._

Mako took into account that Korra had neglected to bring along her parka—due to the fact that she wasn't expecting rain – and he removed his weathered scarf from his shoulders, carefully wrapping it around her thin neck. The girl didn't stir as he did this, her body tensing as she awaited the horrible encore of thunder. She relaxed as she felt him peck the top of her head, and she mumbled something unintelligibly in his chest, her warm breath seeping through his coat.

"I didn't hear you," he informed her.

Korra lifted her head from his chest, her eyebrows furrowed, and her cheeks an unmistakable tint of red. "I said, if you tell anyone about my fear of thunder, I'll _kill_ you," she threatened with a hiss.

Mako exasperated a sigh, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. I won't," he agreed. "But there's nothing to be embarrassed about, Korra."

"Yes there is. It's a stupid fear," she spat.

"It's _not_ stupid," he replied sternly, compassion evident in his low voice. "If you're afraid of something, you're afraid of something. Thunder is your fear, and that's fine."

"It's still stupid," she determinedly concluded, resting her head back down on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. He was warm and comforting, and completely calm. She felt safe in his kind and welcoming arms, thin but surprisingly strong. Without a doubt, she trusted this young man.

"Seriously, Mako," she started. "Don't. Tell. Anyone. Not even Bolin. Swear that you won't."

The girl was impossible, a difficult being, her pride taking over once again. He breathed a sigh through his nose and whispered, "I swear I won't tell anyone, not even Bolin." He ran a hand mindlessly through her ponytail, gazing at the large water fountain in front of them. Korra shook as they heard yet another clap of thunder, and he held her even closer, rubbing his hand up and down her arm soothingly, resting his chin on top of her head as he slowly rocked her back and forth.

That day he vowed he would always protect this girl, that he would never let anyone touch or hurt her, that he would never cause any harm to her, and that he'd never leave her.

"I love you."

[End of Flashback]

* * *

As he made it up the stairs, his little brother happily greeted him when he heard his approaching footsteps, however, the sound of the earthbender's voice was one he didn't want to hear at the moment.

"Hey, bro!" Bolin exclaimed as he sat on the red, worn-out sofa, petting down Pabu's soft fur. Despite the fact that it was rather cold in the room, the earthbender was in just his torn white tank top and his boxers. "Welcome ba –" The words on his tongue fell as he turned his head, staring wide-eyed at his brother's wet figure. "Whoa! You're soaking wet!"

"Yeah, I know," the firebender snarled, glaring down at him. Mako was clearly not in a good mood, but his brother was oblivious to the fact. He began to strip off his coat as Bolin casually asked with a sly grin, "Soooo … How was today?" and as a response Mako snorted a grunt, tossing his drenched coat in Bolin's direction, which landed on his face, causing Pabu to screech and scurry off the couch.

"I'm gonna go with 'not good,'" the earthbender replied, his voice muffled from underneath the coat on his face.

"It wasn't funny, Bo," Mako grumbled as he clumsily removed his water-soaked shoes. He dropped them carelessly on the ground, the shoes making a "slosh" sound as they hit the wooden floor. The firebender quickly grabbed a towel – not questioning whether it was clean or not – vigorously rubbing his jet-black hair dry.

Bolin tore the coat off his face, setting it on the small table in front of him. "Well, it's not like I did anything wrong," the earthbender defended with a sheepish expression, averting his eyes from his brother's glower.

Mako sneezed as he walked over to his brother who had an, "Uh-oh, I'm in trouble" sort-of-face. Bolin took sudden interest in his feet as the firebender towered over him.

"You don't know how awkward it was," Mako explained sternly as he narrowed his eyes, his arms crossed firmly against his chest. He sneezed once again before continuing, a sudden uncomfortable chill running down his spine. "There was no 'plan' or anything," he air-quoted, "so we had NO idea where to go –"

"Hey," he cut in abruptly. "You could've just took her to your guys' 'regular spots' or something." Bolin flinched back as Mako released a loud, frustrated growl, with his teeth clenching in rising anger. Mako's hands formed into tight fists, trying to keep his anger at bay, as he would most surely send the whole attic into flames.

"You don't understand!" he scolded. "I can't just take her to our 'regular spots,'" he mocked bitterly.

Bolin sat back on the sofa with his arms crossed, his feet rested on the table's surface, and his eyebrows lifted in disbelief. "Well, why not?"

The firebender craned his head backwards, his right hand running down his thin face, and his throat released an exasperated groan. He lowered his head back to his younger brother. "How many times do I have to explain it to you?" emphasizing each word slowly as if he was talking to an incompetent monkey. "She. Doesn't. Remember. Me," he explained in a low tone.

Bolin sighed. "I _know_ that," clearly tired of hearing this told to him several times already.

Mako released a breath of incredulity as he was losing patience. "Then _why_ aren't you taking into consideration how _I _feel?" pointing his thumb at himself, feeling hurt yet having an expression of anger on his face. "It won't ever be the same," he croaked. "Look. Just stop 'trying' to help me, because you're only making things wor –" He stopped as he felt a strong tickle in his throat, and began coughing harshly. A heavy sneeze quickly followed, making his head dizzy, seeing blue stars.

Bolin stood up as Mako held his head with his hand, waiting for the dizziness to wear off. "You okay, Mako?" his younger brother asked with great concern.

"Yeah," he answered weakly with a slight nod, sniffing up his snot.

Bolin put a hand on his brother's shoulder, his eyebrows knit with worry. "You look sorta pale," the earthbender pointed out. His older brother shook his head, brushing Bolin's hand off his shoulder.

"I'm fine," Mako reassured, however Bolin was not convinced in the slightest. The earthbender folded his arms, his eyes now serious.

"How long were you in the rain?" he inquired, implying that the rain was causing these symptoms.

Mako sneezed into his fingerless glove, his face turned to one of disgust as he stared at the snot, wiping his palm on his thigh.

"I don't think I was in the rain _that_ long," he replied. "And besides," he rolled his eyes, "being in the cold or standing in the rain _doesn't _make you sick."

Bolin raised an eyebrow. "Whatever," his hand swatting the topic away as he preferred not to get into a scientific argument about how the cold doesn't cause illness. "But not eating right, having good hygiene, _or_ having a healthy dose of sun," he counted on his thick fingers," really does a number on your immune system, y'know."

"I'm _not _sick," Mako insisted, standing upright as a way of proving his point, but became futile as he went into a coughing fit. It was a dry cough, the kind that continuously tickled the back of one's throat and strained it with each violent exhale of air.

Bolin released a short sigh. "Looks like the neglect of your body has finally caught up with you." He paused. "You need to go to bed and rest, Mako," the earthbender advised with a clap on his brother's shoulder.

Mako cleared his throat and shook his head in rebellion. "I'm fine, and I don't _need _to go to bed," he shivered, remembering that he was still in his wet clothes. Bolin pressed the back of his hand to Mako's forehead, a hand to his own as he was comparing temperatures.

"Mm-hmm. Yup," he said with a comprehensive nod. "Your head's a bit warm."

Mako removed his brother's hand from his head, replying, "I'm a firebender. Meaning my body temperature's slightly higher than others," he stated.

"Yeah, well, you're warmer than normal, that's for sure. Time for bed," he ordered as he pushed the tall young man to his designated side of the attic. Mako began to argue, but was instantly silenced as Bolin repeatedly commanded him to change his clothes and rest each time the firebender opened his mouth to protest. Mako reluctantly obeyed, as his stamina was fairly low, upset that he was going to bed at around four o'clock in the afternoon.

It was very dim in the attic at the time as dark, heavy rain clouds unfortunately now blocked their main source of light, sunshine. Mako listened closely to the soft pitter-patter of rain lightly penetrating the windows, his eyes following the drops of water that slid down the clear glass. The sky had become eerily dark and gloomy, as if it were an omen, foreshadowing a destined calamity.

From his angle, he couldn't see Air Temple Island, but it wasn't a necessity to be reminded of the girl who lived there.

Another roar of thunder.

_I hope she's okay,_ he worried within himself, imagining the terror on Korra's face, how she would be hugging herself under the covers of her bed, fighting the fear alone.

He released another fit of harsh coughs, cursing his fragile and weak state. He rolled over on his back, staring at the tall, wooden ceiling above him. He pulled the thin covers up to his neck, shivering from the rising cold. He tried to generate heat by rubbing his feet together, as lighting a fire in bed would be terribly impractical.

The strength of his eyelids soon began to fail him, and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

The following morning was bright and sunny, a surprising contrast from yesterday's stormy weather. Mako opened his eyes just a crack, so as not to hurt them from the blinding sun. He rubbed his eyes to wipe away the drowsiness, and he yawned, stretching his limbs before getting out of bed. His health improved tenfold from yesterday, feeling strangely better than he has in weeks, possibly due to his getting at least more than half a day's worth of sleep last night.

He made his way to the bathroom, washing his face, brushing his teeth, fixing his hair (the best he could, as it unnaturally spiked in the front) – the routinely things one does to get ready for the day. He returned to his room, slipping on his coat, gloves, and shoes. They were still somewhat wet, but he figured once he got out into the sun, they would dry in no time.

Mako walked out into the main room, calling his brother's name to see if he was hungry for breakfast. Of course, knowing his brother, he'd never skip a meal. However, each time the firebender called his name, there was no response of any kind. He came to the conclusion that Bolin must've left for breakfast somewhere else, as he probably didn't want to wait for his older brother to awake from his slumber to make him some. Thinking about it, the firebender wasn't in a starving mood, nor was he necessarily hungry at the moment, and the first thing on his mind was to see Korra.

He knew that that wasn't a strange thing to think about, as it was normal to have the one you loved dearly on your mind. But would _she_ find it strange that he keeps coming to the island just to see her? He was finding it extremely difficult to keep their relationship as friends, and he was aware that the girl was growing a bit suspicious of him. He worried that maybe she'd eventually think of him as some type of weirdo, a stalker. If it somehow came to that conclusion, she'd probably avoid him – one of his worst nightmares.

He headed downstairs, making his way to the gym, expecting to run into a gruff and grumpy Toza, but the old man was peculiarly absent.

_That's strange,_ Mako pondered as he looked around for the elderly earthbender. _Hmph. Lucky me,_ he shrugged, as he truthfully hadn't wanted to run into Toza in the first place. He never knew what to say to the old man – the guy always appeared to be cranky, and his attitude towards Probenders (or people in general) was always sour.

Mako exited the Probending Arena, his next destination being the ferry docks. His feet couldn't help but to pick up the pace, but he had to mentally slow himself down, trying to keep from being too excited to see Korra. He had to "train" himself to view the girl as just as a friend, and nothing beyond that. Sometimes he wondered why he was torturing himself this way, knowing fully well that one cannot simply stop loving another with the snap of the fingers. But he believed that if the two were to start over as a couple, he would damage the girl even further, hurting her more than any other human being would ever do to her.

He contemplated all of this on the ferry as he leaned against the railing, harboring a grave face deep in thought. It wasn't until the ferryman spoke that he realized he was the only person on the entire boat. Now that he thought about, there weren't a lot of people in the city streets either. Was it a holiday he apparently knew nothing about? He earnestly hoped Korra was still on the island, and not away celebrating this "supposed" holiday.

Mako disembarked as he arrived at Air Temple Island, the ferryman waving to the firebender who kindly returned the gesture. As he advanced only a few feet, something dark and heavy descended upon him, and the atmosphere seemed to change drastically. Mako's eyes darted around frantically, frozen where he stood. Anxiety replaced his previous felicity. What on earth was going on? He ran up the stairs wishing to ignore it, unaware that something was stalking him.

As the young man reached the top of the long staircase, there was no one in sight to greet him. The presence of something behind him suddenly became apparent and he turned … to find nothing there. He shook his head, convinced that he was just nervous to see Korra again, and walked on.

_Where is everyone?_ Mako pondered. _It's like a ghost town here._

He entered the main building, excusing himself verbally as he went through the entrance, believing this was a form of trespassing. As he was about to pass through a doorway ahead of him, he spotted Korra in the next room, sitting cross-legged at a small table and writing on a notepad. The girl's hand stopped, and she turned her head, meeting his eyes with her own. He smiled as he entered the room, but it fell instantly once he realized Korra was not alone. The faces he dreaded to see were here, and they weren't equally as ecstatic to see him either. They sat across the table from their daughter, eyes fixated on Mako.

"Nice to see you again," Tonraq flatly greeted him, his face void of emotion as he spoke.

Senna shared the expression of her husband, her voice just as insincere. "It's been a while hasn't it, Mako?"

The firebender couldn't read their faces, couldn't tell if they were angry or something else. But he knew they obviously weren't happy to see him by the way they were coldly speaking to him.

"Why not take a seat?" Senna suggested, pointing at the seat next to Korra.

"No, no, no," Tonraq told his wife calmly. "He can stand. This conversation won't take long." He turned his attention to Mako, his eyes slowly narrowing at the young firebender. Mako's heart began to beat violently fast in his chest, becoming apprehensive for what they had to say to him. After what seemed like an eternity, Tonraq stood up, his arms at his sides.

The Water Tribe man shot Mako a scornful look when he spoke. "Tenzin was kind enough to tell us _everything.__"_ The firebender's blood ran cold, his breath caught in his throat.

_What did he tell them?_ Mako gulped nervously.

Tonraq advanced towards the firebender who cautiously took a step back.

"You hurt my daughter," he accused angrily. "You _attacked_ her," and Mako's eyes shot open, his heart thumping at a dangerous pace.

"It was an accident," Mako croaked, his voice strangely hoarse.

"We _trusted_ you to watch over her; we _asked_ you to take care of her. But you let her hit that motorcycle to save your sorry _butt,"_ he spat, his voice low and bitter.

"I-I didn't – I wasn't – It was an ac –" He swallowed his sentence as Tonraq forcibly grabbed the firebender's coat, slamming his back against the wall behind him. The man was surprisingly strong.

"Are you trying to kill my daughter?!"

"N-no," Mako strained. "I would never –" Tonraq slammed the young man's body against the wall again – considerably harder than the last – and Mako bit his tongue, the awful taste of rust on his taste buds. He felt the grip on his coat grow tighter, and his heart beat faster and more violently, as if he was running a marathon. The men locked eyes, neither turning away from the other. Orange eyes clashed with blue ones; timidness met with fury.

Tonraq was furious, enraged, and ready to kill. "I warned you I'd end you," he hissed through clenched teeth, tossing the young man's body, none too gently, to the side. Mako scrambled to his feet, face blanched, and knees shaking. He could sense something rushing to this room – something dark, something big, something familiar.

"Stay away from Korra," her father sternly commanded. Mako glanced over to look at the girl, dejected that she was no longer looking at him, her back the only thing he could see. He stepped backwards towards the doorway as Tonraq approached him, eyes wide as what had followed him was now directly behind him, craving him, desire for his soul impatiently growing.

"You may no longer see her," Tonraq whispered. "Goodbye," pushing the firebender towards the mysterious entity: engulfed, eaten, and devoured by his fear.

A sonorous boom of thunder rung through the sky, like the sound of a thousand angry drums beaten simultaneously. Mako awoke with a loud gasp, eyes wide in complete darkness. He sat up, trying to examine his surroundings. He stared out the window, the sky suddenly becoming bright due to a flash of lightning.

"It was … just a dream," he whispered to himself reassuringly, releasing a deep sigh, heart beating fast. _A nightmare,_ he thought, combing a hand through his wet hair.

His body was hot, _burning__,_ in fact. His body temperature had risen substantially since the time he fell asleep, roughly being eight hours ago. He had a dangerously high fever, most likely the reason for the bad dream. He felt his shirt and swiftly removed it, as it was now damp with sweat. His body ached all over, and he then released a harsh fit of coughs, each one causing his head to spin. He flipped his pillow over before resting back down on it, pulling the covers up to his chin. He switched to sleep on his right side, facing the misty window. The rain was hard and heavy; thunder reverberated through the air; lightning illuminated the night sky.

Mako was afraid to go back to sleep, fearing he would have another terrible nightmare. Instead, he kept wide-awake practically all night, his incessant coughs contributing to his lack of sleep. He kept his delirious mind preoccupied with thoughts of Korra, trying to recall her boisterous laugh, her contagious smile, her adorable pout, her pretty bright blue eyes – any and everything about her he could remember to keep himself sane.

He finally drifted off to sleep as the sun began to rise, and before Bolin came to check up on him.

* * *

It had been well over a week and a half before Mako's health had finally improved and completely clear of the symptoms of the illness.

"Man," Bolin started with his mouth full of food, "you were sick for a long time, bro," swallowing his noodles and noisily stuffing his mouth with more. The brothers had stopped to eat at Narook's, one of Bolin's favorite Water Tribe restaurants, and an affordable place to buy a lunch.

"I know," the firebender agreed. "That was probably one of the worst yet," he continued, slurping up his noodles in a more sophisticated manner than his brother.

"Weeeell, if you took better care of yourself," the earthbender pointed at Mako with his chopsticks, "that wouldn't have happened."

Mako said nothing, as he knew his brother was right, and he simply nodded in agreement.

After a moment of slurping and swallowing, Bolin suggested, "Hey! Let's go to the island after this! I haven't really seen her since you got sick, and I bet you're suffering from Korra-withdrawal," he teased, wagging his eyebrows and smirking wide. Mako rolled his eyes, clearly not amused.

* * *

The storm had long passed, and the sky was clear of clouds. It was bright, sunny, and the sun was warm on the skin. The brothers were now on Air Temple Island, not once seeing a single soul as of yet. Mako was becoming nervous, as this was the same setting of his horrible nightmare about a week ago.

"You okay, Mako?" his brother asked when he noticed the firebender's paling face.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," was his quick response.

Bolin eyed his brother up and down, eyes narrowed and fingers on his chin, realizing that there was something … different about his older brother.

Mako noticed his brother's hard stare, and as he couldn't ignore it, he turned to him, annoyed. _"What?"_ he inquired. "What are you staring at? Is something on me?"

Bolin snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "Ha! I got it! Your scarf's missing! Hmm … Sooo, where is it? It's not like you to misplace that. Especially something that important to you."

Mako scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, knowing that his answer would reward him another teasing grin from his younger brother. "I, uh … I … I-let-Korra-borrow-it," he muttered speedily.

Surprisingly, Bolin said nothing but, "Oh, I see," walking past Mako who missed his little brother's grin. "By the way, bro," Bolin began nonchalantly, "did I tell you that Korra's parents are here?"

The world froze and shattered in Mako's eyes, his heart stopped dead cold in his chest. "What?!" he shouted, his voice unmistakably anxious. "No. You haven't mentioned that AT ALL."

"Oh. Well, I meant to," he shrugged, not fully comprehending the reason behind his brother's panic. "I visited Korra once while you were sick in bed, and I talked to her parents again. They're pretty cool! Oh. And they asked about you."

The firebender put a hand on his brother's shoulder, halting him in his footsteps. "Wait. You didn't mention anything 'unnecessary' did you?" his tone grave and serious.

"Mako! Bolin!"

The brothers swerved around, meeting the eyes of three spirited children, as well as Korra, her airbending master, and Tonraq and Senna.

"It's nice to see you two again," Tenzin greeted with an acknowledging nod. "I was just about to take Korra for another training session. Her parents and my children are to be her audience. Would you wish to accompany us?"

"Yeah! Come with us!" Meelo exclaimed happily, tugging on Bolin's sleeve.

"C'mon! We have something cool to show you!" Ikki added, grabbing the earthbender's hand.

"Whoa! Alright, alright!" he laughed as the kids forcibly dragged him away. Korra chuckled as she followed directly behind them, Tenzin sighing at the tenacity of his overly energetic children. Mako turned to follow them, but was stopped when a hand gently grabbed his forearm. He hesitantly turned to face Korra's parents, growing uneasy as he realized he was alone with the two people he currently feared the most.

"Your brother told us about your condition," Senna frowned. "Are you feeling better now?" she asked concernedly.

Mako cleared the lump in his throat, and managed to say, "Yes. I'm feeling a lot better."

"That's good to hear," releasing a sigh of relief.

Her husband added, "Yes, it is. Don't want you dying on us," he chortled. Mako smiled weakly, but avoided his eyes, still fearful of the man. After a moment of awkward silence, Tonraq said in a low tone, "Tenzin's told us what happened."

_No. No. No!_ Mako screamed within himself. _Why?! Please … Not like the dream. Please don't be like the dream!_

His head bowed slightly to the side, avoiding the eyes of the couple. If he had looked at the older man, he would've seen eyes of sympathy, compassion, and condolence. Mako tensed slightly as he realized he was suddenly being pulled into a hug – gentle, warm, motherly … familiar.

"It must be awful to be forgotten by the one you love," Senna whispered softly. The young man was taken aback and absolutely puzzled. Had Tenzin not told them everything?

"Yeah," he finally whispered back. "It's not the greatest feeling." He awkwardly returned the hug, careful not to crush the woman, a tear running down his cheek. Senna wiped back the tear, reminiscent of a mother wiping back the tear of a small child, and she gave him the warmest, comforting smile she could give. Tonraq patted the young man's shoulder, offering his own sympathetic smile.

"She didn't forget you," Senna strongly believed, being slowly pulled to her husband's side. "She just needs to remember."

"We're here for you, son."

_Son, huh?_ Mako thought with a smile, feeling as if he was part of the family already.

Then, a sudden weight came off his shoulders, the fear he harbored for the past week gone, now replaced with hope ... and love.

* * *

_**A/N: **__Yay! It's finally here! A long chapter for a long wait. ;D So, is this story still interesting? *__crosses fingers*_

_Goodness gracious, guys! Thank you all SO MUCH for the reviews, favorites, and follows so far! Your reviews make me laugh, smile, and motivate and encourage me to keep writing (and yes, I read every single one, much more than once since I'm such an easily pleased dork). \(^w^)/ Favoriting and following also makes me smile 'cause that tells me people like it and/or are (somewhat) interested. :) So, don't worry – I shall never abandon this story, as I know how much people like/love/are interested in this story. :)_

_*As a note, from now on I will __**only**__ update on __**Saturdays and Sundays**__ (possibly Fridays) due to my schedule. That doesn't guarantee that I'll update every weekend, however. But I just wanted to inform you guys so that people aren't checking every day for an update (if people actually do that)__._

_The next chapter(s) are going to upset/kill you guys ..__.__ possibly. Prepare your hearts!_

_Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it – I appreciate either one! XD_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Previously on "Say My Name":**_

_Mako became seriously ill, causing him to have a horrible nightmare. After a full recovery, he and his brother go to Air Temple Island, hoping to see their friend again. Mako finally confronted Korra's parents, the reencounter going better than he had expected. The question is: What now?_

* * *

"Thanks for letting me use your scarf," Korra's message read. She carefully handed the red object to Mako who smiled, causing the girl to blush the tiniest bit. She still didn't comprehend it, but with just one look or glance, maybe even a smile from the handsome firebender made her heart beat uncontrollably fast. The only times she had ever remembered her heart beating so strongly was either when she was moving her body physically or experiencing fear. But just simply being around this young man … It was illogical, in her mind. How could he make her feel this way? What _was_ she feeling? It felt familiar, nostalgic. She was slow to understand, but all she knew was that she liked it.

A lot.

Mako wrapped the scarf securely around his neck, smelling the old fabric. It had been washed, having the distinct aroma of flowers – a feminine smell he wasn't so used to. But the scent that stuck out the most, though small in comparison to the others, was Korra's. In truth, he wasn't exactly sure what the girl smelled like, and he was aware that she wasn't the type of girl to wear perfume, like his friend, Asami. But she had a scent that was her own, that was all _Korra's._ In all honesty, he loved_ everything_ about Korra. And he loved her.

A lot.

"Um," Mako began awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. He stood facing the girl, both strangely flustered as neither eyes met the other. He was embarrassed at how awkward he was behaving – like a schoolboy talking to his crush. "Would you …" he began slowly, and then cleared his throat. "Would you mind walking with me around Republic City?" The firebender mentally hit himself as he realized his suggestion sounded more like an errand than an invitation. "I mean," he attempted to rephrase his question, "would you, uh, accompany me around the city?" Either way he phrased it, it sounded odd to him, but the Avatar nodded her head vigorously nonetheless, a bright enthusiastic grin on her face.

* * *

Mako and Korra walked side by side as they wandered around the city, both unaware of the close distance between them. She hadn't realized it yet, but Korra was becoming more and more comfortable around the firebender.

The two were unsure where they were going, so instead their little "hanging out" became more of an exploration throughout the city streets, neither minding that outcome. Mako pointed out the few places and shops he _did_ know about, but many of the shops and stores were very unfamiliar to him and most likely new. Korra secretly loved the way he talked, how smooth his voice and tone was, as opposed to Bolin's adorable and enthusiastic voice, and Tenzin's serene, no-nonsense one. She was still incapable of reading his expressions or what he was thinking at any time, as this young man was rather reserved and occasionally smiled. Before, she just saw him as a promising spar partner. But now, she curiously wanted to know more about him – his likes and dislikes; favorite foods and drinks; his opinions on bending (more particularly, if he thinks firebending is the coolest thing ever); and so on. But most importantly, she wanted to know how he thought of _her. _In a way, she felt as if she already knew, with his secret glances and his taking her out "as just friends". But just this wasn't enough – she needed more proof before jumping to conclusions; the truth from his own mouth. She wanted to ask him so many things, but her being mute was a major obstacle, especially for her and her rambunctious, brash, and loud personality.

She took out her notepad and pencil, which she conveniently placed on her hip, tucked between the animal skin and her pants. As Korra was writing on it, she failed to notice a young man was heading her way.

As she was sauntering past the front of a clothing store and her focus on the notepad in her hand, a young employee was rushing out the door of said store with boxes stacked high in his arms, blocking his front view, and he inadvertently crashed into the Avatar, taking all three persons by surprise. The boxes fell with the contents they contained, landing on Korra and the clumsy young man, the latter falling on top of the former. Korra fell with a thud, her head uncomfortably meeting the hard sidewalk. The employee groaned out an "Ow" as he lifted his torso off the girl's body. Their noses happened to be only centimeters apart, and he soon realized that he had fallen on top of a person, a girl. He shot up as fast as he had fallen, extremely flustered from his blunder. Mako took Korra's arm, helping her back on her feet.

The young man bowed deeply, stammering an apology as he blushed from embarrassment. "I'm sorry! It was an accident – I should've watched where I was going!" he explained shamefully.

Korra waved one hand in front of her, gesturing to him that it was nothing to worry about (with her other hand rubbing the now-forming bump on her head), and he exasperated a sigh of relief.

The young man was tall in stature, being only a few centimeters shorter than Mako, but sharing his age. He was undeniably handsome, having the body and features of a perfect male model, and when he spoke, his voice was low and husky in tone. He was of Fire Nation descent, evident from his piercing, radiant yellow eyes. His hair was black and scruffy, short bangs fanned across his forehead. One had to wonder how a beautiful young man such as he got to work at a simple store.

His eyes slowly wandered off the paper, locking eyes with the girl's big, stunning, cerulean ones. He wasn't used to seeing such an exotic-looking girl – apparent from his hard stare.

"You're really pretty," he bluntly stated, catching both Mako and Korra off-guard. The Avatar blushed, as she was obviously not used to being complimented on her looks, especially by guys. The stranger's eyes grew wide at the immediate realization of his own statement, his face reddening further. "Agh! Did I say that out loud?!" Not only was he a klutz, but a clumsy speaker too.

_Yeah. You_ did, Mako thought to himself bitterly as he glared at the young man. _Say anything else and I'll burn the clothes off your back,_ he wished to say. The firebender grabbed the girl's arm, as gently as he could, pulling her with him. "C'mon, Korra. I just remembered that there's a place I want to show you," he lied, desperate to get away from this man.

The two had only walked a few steps until the stranger said, "Hold on. Did you say 'Korra'? As in 'Korra the Avatar' Korra?" The girl turned towards the man, nodding proudly with a smug grin to affirm his question was true. "Ah, man," he face-palmed himself. "I can't believe I ran into the _Avatar_ like that. Seriously, how embarrassing," scratching the back of his head, the blush still lingering on his cheeks. He shyly looked away for a moment, then slowly approached her, clearing his throat. "I should probably introduce myself," he chuckled nervously as he tried to smooth out the wrinkles in his clothes. "The name's Kaji," shaking hands with the Avatar quite eagerly.

For some reason, Mako couldn't stand the physical contact from the simple handshake. In fact, he was highly uncomfortable with it and narrowed his eyes further towards the stranger. Kaji was ignorant of the glower he was receiving from the firebender, as his eyes were only for Korra at the moment.

Kaji resumed, saying, "I feel really bad about that – I mean, what just happened. I feel like I owe you somehow," he said as he rubbed the nape of his neck.

The red flag went up in Mako's head, sensing some kind of incoming trouble, and he promptly grabbed Korra's arm once again, telling the man, "No, that's okay. You don't owe her anything." The girl wriggled out of the firebender's grasp, however, surprising him.

"No, really," Kaji persisted. "I just dropped boxes on you, the _Avatar,_ and in such an humiliating way. You also bumped your head – I feel like a simple apology won't suffice." He paused as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, thinking with an upward tilt of the head. "Um … How about I treat you to lunch or something? Maybe make that dinner, since it's already lunchtime," he chuckled lightly.

Mako made his way in front of Korra, making his presence known; he stood straight and tall, acting very territorial and intimidating. "Are you asking her out on a date?" he growled, his face now entirely hostile.

Kaji then took a cautious step back, face blanched, and spluttered with his hands held up as if in surrender, "S-sorry! Are you her boyfriend?"

Mako froze. As much as the firebender wanted to say yes – and, oh, how he _wanted_ to say yes to shut the guy up – he knew he couldn't as that fact was no longer true, and grumbled an unfortunate, "No." He paused. "I'm not," his frame now defeated and his eyes downcast.

"Oh, phew!" Kaji replied in relief, his muscles visibly relaxed. "I thought I was in trouble there for a second."

_I can blast you across the city if I wanted to,_ Mako threatened in his head. _Trust me, you have _no idea_ who you're dealing with._

"Well, how 'bout it?" Kaji asked the girl nervously. "Dinner? Tonight?" he smiled bashfully yet hopeful.

_Korra won't accept so easily,_ the firebender confidently reassured himself. _She's not the type of girl to accept a date with_ any_ guy._

Or at least, that's what Mako thought.

Strangely, the girl nodded her head "Yes" exuberantly, a slight blush surfacing on her dark-skinned face. Mako wished to protest with her decision, but held his tongue. However, as silent as he was, he was just as angry.

"Sweet!" Kaji grinned ecstatically. "Meet me here at around seven tonight. Nothing formal. Just come as you are," he smiled, with Korra nodding her head in understanding. Oh, how Mako wanted to hit him, how he desired to erase that irritating smile of his that was directed to _his_ girl, _his_ Korra.

"You ain't goin' anywhere with a mess like this," a gruff voice from behind boomed, causing Kaji to tense in surprise.

"Whoops," the young man muttered, his eyes darting to the store's supplies that scattered the city street. "Don't worry, boss!" the young employee called back. "I'll clean this up!" Kaji turned to Korra and whispered with a wink, "Especially before our date," and she grinned in return. The boy was undoubtedly smitten with the girl. His boss grunted and walked away, muttering an unintelligible complaint about teenagers and hormones.

* * *

After Mako and Korra had finally left, the firebender refused to look at Korra, or to even acknowledge her presence. She could tell, or rather, sense the anger boiling in him at the moment, but she was unsure why. Mako kept his pace fast as he stormed through the streets, his eyes telling everyone to stay out of his way or else, keeping his back in the girl's view as she struggled to keep up with him. Losing patience, she forcibly grabbed the back of his coat, pulling him back, which caused him to stumble. He swerved to face her, his fierce glare matching hers.

"_What?"_ he hissed, giving her a scornful look.

The girl angrily scribbled down in her notepad, and ripped out the message, practically thrusting the slip of paper in his face.

He snatched the paper that read, "What's your problem?" and he scoffed in disbelief. "What's my _problem?_ What's my pr – Why do you think?!" he snapped, as if the answer was as clear as the nose on his face.

The Avatar made a gesture that clearly said she didn't understand, and he crumpled up the paper in his hand, incinerating it in his fury. "You're unbelievable," his voice cold. "So, you just accept a date from a guy you just _met?!_ You don't even know _who_ he is, _what _he's like, and yet you agree to dinner with the guy?!" Mako was now hovering over the Avatar, faces inches apart from one another, both huffing in anger. The two were red-faced and silent, neither moving, however, they were drawing unwanted attention.

Korra's hands balled into tight fists as she was seething in rising fury. She was more than ready to punch the firebender with all the strength she knew she possessed. She hated how inconvenient being mute was, but she was well aware of the phrase, "actions speak louder than words" – one of her top philosophies.

_Who does this jerk think he is?!_ Korra thought angrily. _He's not my father, my boyfriend, _or_ the boss of me! I can make my own decisions, and I don't need this guy who I barely know to criticize _my_ decisions! _Especially_ who I choose to go out with!_

The two remained glued to the sidewalk, eyes clashing with the same ferocious glare, and hearts beating fast in heated emotion. "I'm just trying to protect you, Korra," he defended himself in a cool manner. "That guy's a complete stranger. Just another annoying, pretty-faced guy whose only skill is attracting women."

_Oh, and you're _not,_ cool guy?_ she thought bitterly with a jut of the lower lip. _Bet you're number one on _that_ list._

"The guy spells danger," Mako continued. "There's just something about him I _hate,"_ he spat. "Something in his eyes that just boils my anger and hatred. He's bad news," he reiterated, "and people like him are not to be trusted. I'm from the streets, and I could read that even past his stupid, optimistic smile was a dark past full of deceit and lies. No good comes from someone like him." A brief pause. "You're not going on a date with him tonight, tomorrow, the day after that, or_ anytime_ in the future," his hand briskly swiping the air.

_I've HAD it!_ Korra fumed, her hands shaking with an itching desire to pummel the firebender to the nearest wall. _I don't need his permission for anything – I'm _not_ a child! He doesn't own me; I'm_ not_ his girlfriend; I'm_ not_ his property!_

She spun on her heel and began storming away in the opposite direction, leaving Mako where he stood. He released a growl of frustration through gritted teeth and swiftly punched the nearest building, scaring passersby who could sense the bad vibe from the young adult.

* * *

Bolin said nothing as his brother stomped angrily up the stairs to their apartment, readily conscious that his older brother wasn't in a good mood, especially for a conversation. The earthbender fought within himself, wondering if he should risk asking what got his brother in such a temper.

"Uh," Bolin began hesitantly from the red sofa, "w-what's up, bro?" He winced as his older brother glared in his direction, now regretting he even asked.

"That girl is so _infuriating!"_ Mako fumed. He began to pace the room back and forth as he resumed, "She's – she's just – AGH!" fire practically coming out his mouth.

_Ah. Korra. Why am I not surprised?_ the earthbender laughed quietly to himself. "What'd she do?"

His elder brother halted in his footsteps, glaring out the clear windows in the attic as he remembered what had just transpired. "Hmph. Some 'pretty boy' ran into her, and he decided to take her to dinner as an apology." He turned to his brother. "And guess what? She _accepted_ like it was nothing!" His hands formed fists, resisting the urge to vent his anger by throwing immense balls of fire in the room. Oh, he was angry, _furious,_ and his thoughts jumbled around crazily in his head. As the flames in his hand grew hot, his fury grew icy and cold in his veins.

The younger brother sat there, lifting one of his thick eyebrows. "Aaannnd …?"

"What do you mean, 'and'?" Mako inquired impatiently.

"Well," Bolin started, "aren't you sorta being a … hypocrite?" he accused. The firebender was about to retort this, but Bolin continued to support his statement. "Isn't that how it happened between you and Asami? She hit you with her moped, and asked you out for dinner at, what, Kuang's place as like recompense or something? And guess what? You accepted." He put his hand to his chin, pretending to be seriously contemplating something. "Y'know, I'm sensing some serious case of déjà vu here."

Mako's head bowed to the side at the truth of this fact, having nothing to refute.

Bolin sighed with folded arms. "Bro, I think you're just jealous."

His brother lifted his head, releasing an air of incredulity._ "Jealous?"_ the firebender frowned. He never thought himself to be the jealous type, and even now he denied it.

"And c'mon, Mako. Is it really that big 'o deal?" Bolin asked.

"A big _deal? _What do you _think,_ Bo?" His irritation was clear in his throat.

The brothers locked eyes for a brief silent moment – Mako, steely-eyed and stern; his brother placid and uncharacteristically serious.

Then, Bolin spoke up. "What I 'think,'" his little brother returned calmly, "is that it's really none of your business, right?"

"What?" the firebender asked incredulously. "How could you say –"

"You're just her 'friend', remember?" he reminded his older brother, as he air-quoted the word. "Looks like you just dug up your own grave, bro," he shrugged. And with that, Mako was without words, his heart pained as he realized his brother was unfortunately correct.

_He's right,_ the young firebender thought to himself. _What was I thinking? How could I believe we could just stay friends? I need her, and she needs me. Mako, you _idiot.

_You _love_ her._

* * *

_**A/N:**__ (This chapter is short because it's all I can produce at the moment.) Soooo … *silence* Yeeeaaahhh, I think I was exaggerating when I said this would kill you … Sorry about that expectation, so I hope I didn't disappoint. ^_^; But the NEXT chapter's gonna have a ton of drama … a TON. And I can promise you _that.

_Don't know when I'll update the next chapter, but, again, DO expect it on a weekend. (Probably not this next weekend and maybe not the one after that – I really do hate having to make you guys wait. ):)_

_Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it – I appreciate either one! XD_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Previously on "Say My Name":**_

_On one of their outings, a clumsy young man named Kaji literally runs into the Avatar, asking her out on a date as recompense. Mako instantly becomes jealous, but says nothing at the time, eventually blowing up at Korra. Later that same day, he realizes that he had been making a mistake all this time. But will it be too late to confess his love?_

* * *

Korra had arrived about five minutes early, attempting to be as punctual as possible. Her date, however, was nowhere in sight. He had told her to arrive at seven p.m., and according to a nearby antique clock store, he was ten minutes late – _far_ too late for her liking. She was tapping her foot impatiently as she stood in front of the clothing store where he worked, arms folded across her chest, and a distinct pout on her face.

_He's standing me up!_ she screamed within herself. _What kind of jerk stands up the _Avatar _of all people?! _She sighed, thinking that Mako was probably right about Kaji, but she shook her head, still very upset at the firebender.

_Ok, that's it. I'm going to _MARCH_ in there and give that guy a piece of my mind! I'll drag him out here if I have to! _And she had every intention to do so.

She violently pushed the store's entrance door open, ignoring the odd stares she was receiving from strangers as she stormed through the clothing aisles, exhibiting the look of a wild animal on a hunt. The size of the store was magnificent; it appeared much smaller from outside. Her eyes darted here and there, hoping to find that familiar face. As she advanced further within the store, there happened to be long lines of shelves against the walls, filled and stacked with clothing materials of different textures and of numerous colors. Finally, she spotted Kaji in the very back, conversing with two female customers. Korra's anger was now reaching new heights, furious that he should be taking her out on their date than flirting away with two girls (or as she saw it). Korra rudely shoved the young women aside, now face-to-face with her date.

Kaji's face turned to one of confusion and surprise. "Korra? Why are you here?" he asked honestly with great befuddlement.

_Is he really asking that?! _Korra scorned inwardly with disbelief.

"You're here early," he continued. "Our date isn't until …" his voice trailed off as he stared at the clock on the wall, his eyes then widening at a shocking realization. "Oh, no. I forgot this clock was 10 minutes behind! Boss said he was going to fix it," he mumbled to himself angrily. His eyes returned to Korra's, his face apologetic and full of embarrassment. "I'm really sorry, Korra! But after what I give you, maybe you won't be so angry!" And he left in a hurry, almost tripping himself in the process, disappearing through a nearby door. Within seconds he had returned, holding a long article of clothing. From what Korra could tell, it looked to be a dress, and she simply raised an eyebrow at it.

He held it out in front of him for Korra to see the full garment. "This is for you," he smiled.

_He's a tailor?_ she asked herself, quite impressed.

As if hearing her question, he answered, "Yup. I'm a tailor."

She carefully took the dress, rotating it and examining it closely. It was dark blue and sleeveless, exhibiting the Water Tribe style of clothing, but modern and very modest. It was long, but didn't quite reach the floor, and the dress was of a few layers that varied in different shades of blue. It wasn't plain, but it wasn't so terribly fancy either. Truthfully, she liked it – even though her wearing dresses was particularly rare – but it appeared to be something one wore for strictly special occasions.

_So … this is for me? _pointing her forefinger at herself, and Kaji nodded.

He averted his eyes shyly to the side, his hand rested on the nape of his neck. "This is my gift to you … And I was hoping you'd wear that for our date. Um, but … Y-you don't have to if you don't want to!" he blurted out frantically. "I was just hoping that … you … would ..."

Laughter from behind rung through the couple's ears. "Wha d'ya mean you're hopin' she'd wear it?" a deep voice said. It was the manager alongside a young, female employee whose face just screamed "peppy."

The girl added, "Just tell her to wear it 'cause you're taking her to some classy place."

_Classy?_ Korra thought.

Kaji's boss and the girl approached the two teenagers, both failing to hide their teasing grins. "Took the boy _hours_ to complete," he explained. "Ever since you left (and picked up the mess he made outside), he's been workin' on that thing without taking a single break."

The girl interjected, "Yeah. You should've seen how focused he was making that," laughing at the memory. "He just rushed back here, not saying a word to anyone, other than, 'I'm busy. Don't bother me,'" imitating his voice the best she could. However, Kaji was not amused.

The young man yelled out, "Guys!" as he was clearly embarrassed. "She doesn't need to know _all_ of that," he hissed angrily.

The older man laughed at his employee's apparent bashfulness. "Well, why not? You worked hard on it, didn't you?" His focus shifted back to the Avatar. "Y'know, this boy here is amazing. With a dress like that, I'm amazed he even got it done in time. But when it comes to bein' a tailor, the kid's a prodigy."

The young man cleared his throat, saying, "I'm right here," obviously uncomfortable with being highly praised in his presence. He exasperated a long sigh, trying to keep his cool around Korra. "Anyway," diverting his attention to her. "Do you want to try it on? To check if it fits."

She nodded and looked around for a dressing room, but the female employee had taken her arm in haste. "You can get dressed over here," the girl informed as she was pulling Korra behind. The overly ecstatic employee guided her to a small changing room cubicle, a dark curtain as its door. The girl pushed Korra into the small space, closing the thick curtain.

"Just let me know if you need help putting it on," the girl informed, her footsteps retreating.

_Wow, _someone's_ happy to do their job today,_ Korra snickered.

She lifted the dress carefully so as not to tear it in any way, taking another look at it before putting it on. It was surprisingly easy to slip on, and she wished there was a mirror in this small room in order to see how she really looked. The garment was very much in her preferred style, but she felt somewhat self-conscious wearing it. She was afraid to go back out in the open for all to see, but Kaji _did _make it specifically for her, for their _date_, so she had to put her insecurities aside so as to not offend him.

She heard footsteps approaching, multiple ones in fact, and Kaji asked, "Korra? Do you have it on yet?" The Water Tribe girl inhaled deeply, readying herself for possible incoming humiliation and/or embarrassment.

_Well, here goes,_ she thought.

Korra stepped out, eyes avoiding the two young employees standing before her.

"Wow. The dress looks better on you than I imagined," Kaji smiled, and Korra blushed just the tiniest bit. This was the second time he had complimented her on her beauty – which she believed was nonexistent. She never focused on such a frivolous thing like one's looks, and being told she looked "pretty" or "beautiful" was foreign to her ears. She had to wonder: did Kaji truly believe she was beautiful, or was it him just saying that? From his tone, he sounded sincere, which flustered her each time he said it.

The female employee smiled and replied, "Once again, you are amazing Kaji." She walked around the Avatar, closely examining the dress itself. "How on earth did you get the measurements correct without actually measuring her?" That thought hadn't crossed Korra's mind. The dress was a perfect fit, attuned flawlessly with every curve on her body. Now she too was strangely curious at this achievement.

The Fire Nation boy answered with a slight shrug, "I've seen plenty of body types like hers, so it wasn't that hard."

His coworker's eyes grew in size, but returned to normal as she shook her head, laughing, "You're inhuman. Is that even possible?" She spun quickly to face Korra. "You know, you look really pretty in that. Hmm …" as if contemplating something. "Since you two are going on a date, how about I fix your hair for you to finish the whole look?" Before Korra could respond, the girl had already pulled a brush out of who-knows-where, solely removing Korra's ponytail in the back. In truth, Korra wanted her hair to be left the way it was, but as the girl was already in the process of fixing her hair, she didn't protest. "You should probably get dressed and ready for your date," the girl suggested of Kaji as he stood there staring like a statue.

"Alright. I'll be back soon," and he left.

The girl brushed Korra's long hair in silence, until she finally spoke up. "So, what do you think of Kaji?" The question wasn't interrogative, just a curious topic for small conversation.

Korra shrugged. There wasn't really much to say as she had only seen him for less than an hour. But from her first impression of him, he was a rather ditzy and comical character, with a little innocence thrown in.

The girl laughed. "Yeah, you've only met him today, I heard. Right now, he's probably nothing but a klutz and a dork, but … If you spend more time with him, you'll come to love him," she declared assuredly.

_Love …_ Korra thought. And for a moment she couldn't help but think that her heart belonged to someone else. But who that was, she couldn't recall. Or rather, she just didn't know. Mako did make her feel … something. But was that feeling "love?" At this moment, she decided not to delve into it too much.

"I've never seen him so interested in a girl before," the girl continued, smoothing out the small knots in the Avatar's dark brown hair. "He's even clumsier than normal," she giggled. "I mean, just thinking about it, you two make a cute couple."

Korra's eyebrow raised. _Cute? Maybe not cute, but we'd be … interesting … I guess._

The girl finished brushing Korra's hair, and said, "There we go. Finished." She grabbed the Avatar's wrist, leading her to a tall, standing mirror in the room. Korra stared at her own reflection, not quite sure what to say. She didn't particularly hate what she saw, but she never judged herself on what she wore. The dress was appropriate, and there was nothing questionable about it. Although she was a girl of muscle, her body was very feminine, and the dress accentuated her curves nicely. In a word, she was satisfied.

"You look beautiful," the girl smiled with all honesty, putting the finishing touches on the Avatar's hair. Korra was surprised at how long her hair had become, the length way beyond her shoulders. She rarely stopped to look at a mirror, as she was not the vain type, and her hair was normally tied back anyway. But she was aware that she definitely needed a trim.

Someone approached from behind, adding in his own opinion of the Avatar. "You look amazing, Korra."

Said girl faced Kaji who was now well dressed and donning a dark, authentic suit – most likely made from his own hands – complimentary of the clothes of this period. Looking at him closely, she hadn't realized how attractive the young man was, as his clumsy personality had stuck out more than his looks. But as her eyes traveled to his head however, Korra stifled a laugh upon noticing his hair had become messier than before, possibly due to him hurriedly slipping his shirt over his head.

The female employee rolled her eyes, and chuckled, "Nice hair, Kaji."

"Huh?"

"Anyway," pushing Korra gently forward to her date. "You two should be on your way already – it's almost eight. Now, out you two. Out! And have fun!"

Korra looked over her shoulder, pointing at the dressing room where her Water Tribe clothes were located. The female worker waved her hand in dismissal as if it wasn't a problem, saying, "Don't worry about your clothes. We'll hold onto them for you until you come back. Now hurry up!" she yelled, shooing the two. "You don't have all night."

* * *

Bolin's mouth hung agape, staring incredulously at his older brother. The two brothers were currently in their attic talking; in actuality, Bolin was trying to keep his brother from doing something crazy.

The younger one shook his head, trying to make sense of his brother's reasoning – or what little he had left. "You're going to do _what?"_

"You heard what I said," Mako returned impatiently.

"I don't know," Bolin replied dubiously. "I think I may have heard wrong. You plan on _crashing _their _date?"_

Mako gazed blankly out the clear windows, the sun having set long ago. He knew Korra was out with what's-his-face at this very moment, angry with himself that all of this had happened because he failed to reveal his true feelings to Korra sooner. He answered his brother with a confident and stern, "Yes."

The earthbender walked over to his brother, setting his hand on Mako's shoulder. "Bro," he began firmly, his tone slow and concerned, "I understand how you feel, but not sure that's a great … idea."

Mako shook off his brother's hand, turning his full attention to Bolin. The firebender's face was serious, his mind steadfast. "I'm not going to just sit here and mope," he snapped.

"What're you gonna do when you get there?" the earthbender required with much interest, almost skeptical. "Punch the guy?" he suggested jokingly.

"If I can resist it," and Bolin's eyes shot open, astonished that his normally calm and collected older brother would even reconsider doing such a thing. Bolin tried to keep himself from laughing at Mako's obvious jealousy. "Don't stop me," the eldest continued, making his way to the stairs.

Bolin sighed, understanding that his brother's mind could not be changed. "I won't. Just …" he paused, scratching the back of his head, "don't do anything that catches the cops' attention."

Mako glanced over his shoulder. "Ha ha. Real funny, Bo," he sarcastically replied.

Bolin grinned with a playful shrug, "I try."

* * *

"So, Korra," Kaji began, eyes fixated on the 17 year old. "How's the food?"

The Avatar swallowed the remnants of food in her mouth, smiling as an answer to his question. She had forgotten exactly what she had ordered, but it didn't matter to her in the slightest. The food was exquisite, and quite different from what she has ever eaten. She wasn't very familiar with eating high-class food, but she loved it nonetheless.

Her date smiled, delighted with her response. "Y'know, I've never been here – to _Kuang's Cuisine_ – before. But I heard the food was really good, and, y'know, wanted to go to see if it was true. And it is! You ordered a Fire Nation dish. So, is it good? I mean, you're a Water Tribe girl, but … I guess since you're the Avatar and connect with the Four Nations, you love all … flavors of … the world … ?"

He then turned his head, blushing as Korra shot him a look of confusion. She tried her best not to laugh at his strange logic, but couldn't help herself. The young man was a bit awkward in truth, but she found it adorable in a way that strangely made her heart beat faster. Kaji's eyes returned to her in both adoration and wonder.

"I knew you couldn't talk, but I didn't know you could still laugh."

Korra nodded, her laugh gradually dying down.

The attractive young man casually rested his chin in his palm, eyes glued on the young Avatar seated to his right. "Y'know, you have a pretty cute laugh. I wish I heard your voice before you lost it. I bet it was beautiful."

Korra blushed profusely at this. She couldn't recall anyone ever saying such a thing to her until now, and her heart pound rapidly in her chest. She could tell that his words were genuine, and she was becoming flustered. The young man noticed the embarrassment on the girl's face, his eyes wide as he realized his compliment had made her slightly uncomfortable.

He was quick to apologize and exclaimed, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean that! I mean, I-I did, but not like that. Wait! I _do_ mean it, it's just it came out sounding … GAH!" He smacked his forehead, as well as mentally kicking himself. He exacerbated a sigh, taking great interest on the flowers placed decoratively on the table's center. "This is really hard. I'm so awkward and this is just …" Another sigh. "I've never felt this way about a girl before, and this is obviously my first date."

Korra wished to empathize and say – if she _could_ speak – that this was her first date as well, but she remembered being on that one friendly date with Bolin a while back, which – in her mind – seemed more as two friends hanging out than a date. But she felt as if she had been on countless dates before with someone other than Bolin. The feeling of joy she had on those dates was something she couldn't forget, something she wished to experience again and again.

But with who?

She was brought out of her thoughts as she felt the warm touch of a hand resting gently on top of hers, and surprised herself as she subconsciously mouthed the word, "Mako?" shifting her gaze to the young Fire Nation boy next to her. Golden eyes stared back at her, but it was only the young tailor. She was confused: Why did she say _his_ name?

"Korra?" Kaji called. "I was wondering, after dinner, would you like to go to the park?"

The Avatar nodded her head absentmindedly, the invitation barely registering in her mind as she still pondered why the name "Mako" – belonging to the very firebender who had objected her date with Kaji and angered her on the same day – had escaped her lips. Even after they finished dinner, even after Kaji paid the bill, even after they exited the restaurant, Mako had been on the back of her mind.

* * *

Mako rushed through the city, wishing he could remember the store where that young man was employed. From there, the firebender was planning on getting information on Korra's and Kaji's whereabouts, but he cursed himself for forgetting the location of the clothing store. He was far too angry earlier to even commit the name of the store to memory, so he was frankly at a loss. He hadn't the slightest idea where he was at the moment, and he came to a halt, catching his breath and examining his surroundings. His eyes darted everywhere, trying to find anything familiar – a building or a street – that would jog his memory. He was too frustrated with himself to simply stand and look around, so he kindly asked an old stranger who happened to be close by.

"Excuse me," Mako began hurriedly. "Are there any clothes stores nearby?"

The old man turned slowly as he felt a light tap on his shoulder, facing a young man who appeared to be terribly impatient at the moment and in a hurry to be somewhere. The man held a cane for support, his back hunched, and he harbored numerous wrinkles. Clearly, this man has lived well over half a century.

The elder man hummed, "Hmm? Could you repeat that? I'm a bit hard of hearing."

Mako repeated a bit louder, "I said, 'Are there any clothes stores nearby?'"

The old man raised an eyebrow. "Crows doors? What on earth is that? Some new thing popular with the young –"

"Clothes stores," Mako cut in abruptly, raising the volume of his voice. "Do you know of any CLOTHES STORES in the area?"

The senior shook his head, putting a hand behind his ear to signal that he still couldn't understand the firebender. "Can't hear that first word. Mind repeatin' it again?"

Mako released a heavy sigh, refraining himself from showing his frustration with the old man. Normally, he was very considerate and patient of the elderly, but as he knew he was losing valuable and precious time, his patience flew out the window (as well as his manners), practically yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Clothes!" pulling his own clothes to help the man understand. "Are there any clothes! Stores! In! The! Area?!"

"Alright, alright," the old man replied angrily, covering his ears. "No need to shout, you scallywag," poking Mako's stomach with his cane. "I'm not _that _deaf." The man put a wrinkly hand around his chin, pondering about any clothing stores he was aware about. He snapped his fingers after a brief moment, his eyes lit with remembrance.

"There is one in fact," the old man continued, bringing Mako's hopes up. "It's a pretty good one too, I heard. Has a young tailor with the name of … What was it? Genji?"

"Kaji," Mako spat, hating how he even remembered the guy's name.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's his name. Yes, well, I forget the name of the shop, but I know _exactly_ where it is. Now, listen up. You go straight for two blocks, then take a right, go straight for another two blocks, then go left. Just keep straight and it'll be somewhere to your left. Got it?"

Mako nodded, already on his way, thanking the elderly man. As the firebender finally reached the shop, he shoved the transparent entrance doors open, looking to find anyone who could possibly tell him about Korra's and her date's location. He spotted a plump middle-aged man who he recalled to be the manager, and he swiftly made his way over to him. Mako wasn't quite sure what the man was doing, but it appeared he was organizing clothes. Even as Mako approached him from the side, the manager was too absorbed in his work to notice the young man standing beside him.

Mako cleared his throat to get his attention. "Excuse me."

The manager swerved his body around rather lazily, and with little expression, asked, "Yes. How can I help you?"

"Is Kaji –"

"Sorry, son," the man interjected. "Kaji's out on a date with the Avatar, if you can believe it," he chortled. "If you need tailor work, you'll have to come by tomorrow."

As the man was beginning to turn back around to his previous position, Mako returned impatiently, "I'm not here for tailor work. Do you know where they are now?"

The man froze, looking the young man before him up and down, scrutinizing him with a skeptical eye. "Who are you?" the man interrogated, thick arms across his broad chest. The firebender could sense that the manager didn't trust him, and he gulped, fearing that the man would be uncooperative.

"I'm Korra's – the _Avatar's_ – friend," Mako replied rather frank.

The manager narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, I remember you. You were standin' outside o' my shop earlier, accompanying the young miss."

"So, do you know where they are?"

The man's face became stern, and he harrumphed, "Why should that be of any business o' yours?"

Mako remained silent. He knew he simply couldn't tell his whole story as well as the reasons behind it, as it would take too long to explain, and the man would more than likely care less for his reasons anyway. He hadn't taken account that the man would refuse or be reluctant to tell him anything.

"I'm sorry, young man," the manager continued, "but I can't give you that kind of information. You look like trouble, and I don't need you causing it. I've never seen the boy so happy, and I don't need someone like you messin' it up. Got me?"

"But –"

"If that's all you came for, then I suggest you leave."

Luck was just not on Mako's side.

He left the store upset and dejected, leaning against a street lamp, as he had no energy left. His only hope of finding Korra was now gone; Korra could be anywhere with that guy, and Republic City was much too vast for a search. What could he do?

"Well, if it ain't Mako."

The firebender turned his head in the direction of the familiar young voice, quite perplexed to see his young friend here. "Skoochy?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. Why so surprised?" the pre-teen grinned slyly.

"Heh. Just never expected _you_ to be here. Aren't you a bit far from where you usually hang out?"

Skoochy laughed, flicking the bill of his newsboy cap. "I can wander around the city _whenever_ and _wherever _I want. But enough about me. So, tell me," stuffing his hands in his pockets as he changed the subject. "What's with the doom and gloom? Lemme guess. Girl trouble?"

"Huh?" Mako asked quizzically. "How'd you know?" The firebender hadn't known Skoochy of all people would know anything about girls, or even cared about others' personal affairs.

"Weelll," the twelve year old drawled, with a half-hearted shrug, "about an hour ago, I saw your girl arm-in-arm with some other guy – and not a bad-looking one either. What's up with that?"

Mako felt his hope resurrect. "Do you know where they went?" he questioned ecstatically.

Skoochy shrugged weakly, "Eeehhh. Maybe …" He held his hand in front of him, the smart kind of fellow who wouldn't sell information without a little incentive. Mako rolled his eyes, digging his hands into his pockets for a couple yuans he knew he had on hand. He handed the money to Skoochy, the young boy snatching it and stuffing it deep in his vest's inner pocket for safekeeping.

"Yeah, I know where they are," the young boy started. "I overheard pretty boy saying somethin' about _Kuang's Cuisine._ Pretty high-class place, ain't it?"

"Yeah," Mako whispered, recalling his first date with the natural beauty, Asami, at that same restaurant. He wished not to delve back into those memories, keeping his mind focused on the present. The love of his life was now with a stranger, a stranger who could be ruining Mako's future with Korra. He knew he couldn't afford wasting time, so he quickly thanked his young friend, leaving for _Kuang's Cuisine._ As he hurried, the unforgettable memory of his first date with Korra played through his mind.

* * *

[Flashback]

The Avatar stiffened in surprise, trying to register her boyfriend's words. She was a tad speechless at the sudden invitation as it had literally been out of the blue. She had been conversing with him about her Avatar duties not ten seconds ago as they strolled around the island, until he bluntly said (sounding more like a command), "Go on a date with me." She was currently staring up at him, eyes widened, nothing but silence between them.

Mako frowned, and upon realizing that she wasn't saying a word, he said, "You could at least say something."

Korra folded her arms across her chest, shifting her weight to one of her legs. With a pout, she responded, "Well, I'm sorry. It _was _a little random, and I didn't know you needed a 'yes' or 'no' to that."

His frown slowly shifted to a smirk. "I thought a bold and sudden invitation would work with someone like you," he teased, earning him a playful punch to the arm.

Her hands moved to rest on her hips, lips curling into a soft smile. "Alright then, Mr. Joker. When do you want to go?"

"Now."

Her arms slipped to her sides, mouth falling into a distinct frown. _"Now?_ Mako, I can't. I mean, I'd loved to, but I have things to do, and –"

"You need a break," he cut in, eyes filled with deep concern. "It's been three weeks since we've returned to the city, and we haven't seen each other much. You may be the Avatar, but even _you _need a break every once in a while."

She shook her head. "What about Tenzin? I know _he_ won't like it," she scoffed.

"Tenzin's fine with it."

She cocked a confused eyebrow. "Tenzin's _fine_ with it? _Really._ He agreed that easily?"

The firebender rubbed the back of his neck, releasing a chuckle. "It took a lot of convincing, actually," recalling the dreadfully long conversation with the airbending master earlier today. "But he understood that you've been working hard – with returning people's bending, and airbending training – and thought it was a good idea for you to 'do something recreational once in a while,'" imitating the old master's voice.

She laughed, "Dating is recreational?"

* * *

The couple traipsed through the city streets side by side, but Korra couldn't keep herself from feeling nervous. Her heart was beating vigorously in her chest, and she dearly hoped Mako couldn't hear it. Her date with Bolin was much different than her date with the handsome firebender. She didn't feel this way when she was on her date with her earthbender friend – heart pounding, thoughts scattered, even a little shy. She wasn't sure what to do, what to say.

Mako was similarly nervous, his heart beating with equal fervor. He was now wondering whether or not it was a good idea to ask her out so suddenly. He hadn't planned anything; he simply wanted Korra to take a breather from her hard work. What kind of moron takes a girl out on a date without planning something beforehand? was his line of thinking. He realized that his girlfriend hadn't spoken much since entering the city from the island. He assumed she was just as nervous as he was, and that made him feel a bit calmer as he was aware that he wasn't the only one feeling this way.

As Korra's thoughts were unfocused, she absentmindedly crossed the streets, oblivious to the oncoming traffic. Mako's hand briskly grabbed hers, pulling her back to him on the sidewalk.

"Korra! You need to watch where you're going," he scolded with evident panic in his voice.

"Sorry," she apologized sincerely. "I just – my mind was somewhere else."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I figured. Just try to be careful."

As they continued to walk on, Korra had realized that Mako hadn't let go of her hand, nor did it seem like he was planning to. He kept a strong grip on hers, keeping her hand from easily slipping out of his. Her heart was aflutter, as she had never held anyone's hand, especially Mako's. She recalled having grabbed Mako's hand back at the South Pole, but she was pulling him to her polar bear dog, and immediately let go as she had reached her pet. But the two had never held hands like this before. This was incredibly new, yet she wasn't ready to assert this as "incredible." This was much too touchy-feely, and a bit out of her comfort zone. She definitely wasn't prepared for this.

Mako secretly glanced downwards to his girlfriend, smiling that her cheeks were a growing red on her dark skin. He could feel her palm growing warmer than his, her sweat seeping through his fingerless gloves. After a moment's silence, he couldn't restrain himself from teasing her just a little.

"You're awfully quiet, you know," he started, fighting back a smile. "That's pretty unlike you."

Korra's pulse quickened, heat rising to her exposed ears. She bent her head downwards and to the side, hoping to hide the blush that was spreading across her cheeks. She attempted to stay proud and strong, but her pride was falling, astounded that she was being so bashful and embarrassed. As she heard her boyfriend's light chuckle, she swerved her head to his in a swift motion, shooting him a glare.

"You're doing this on purpose," she growled. The firebender's laugh grew louder, his grip around her hand loosening. He turned to her, relishing in how her face was so full of embarrassment and irritation.

"Yeah. I am," he admitted, grinning mischievously.

She mumbled, "Jerk," trying to remove her hand from his. However, he tightened his grip, smiling at the yelp of surprise she made as he pulled her body flush with his.

"Yes, I'm doing this on purpose," he reiterated. He then lowered his mouth to her ear, and huskily whispered, "But only because I enjoy watching you react in ways only _I_ can make you express." Korra instantly became stiff as a board, blue eyes wide, and face completely flushed. At that moment, she could've sworn her heart was going to explode in her chest, and her body was growing feverish all over. She bowed her head and began mumbling nonsense under her breath, inwardly cursing herself for being unable to hide her emotions.

As much as Mako loved seeing her act like this, he believed she had suffered enough embarrassment – for the moment – and he backed away, the couple continuing to walk hand-in-hand as they walked throughout the city. Suddenly, the handsome firebender halted in front of a shop, explaining that this place was one his parents used to take him and Bolin out to eat on occasion. Korra was curious, wanting to enter a place that was nostalgic to her boyfriend.

The building was small and rather family-oriented, giving it a comfortable atmosphere. The tables ranged in size and shape, from big to large, and from square to circular. Apparently, there were only a handful of people in the tiny restaurant, so the place wasn't polluted with screaming and yelling young children.

Mako guided Korra to a fairly small, round table, its tablecloth a light blue. It wasn't until she sat down across Mako that she noticed how small and compact the table really was. Knowing her knees were only centimeters away from Mako's slightly bothered her, but her boyfriend didn't seem to notice as he simply perused through the menu in his hands. Korra decided to ignore the fact, taking up her menu and looking to see what this restaurant had to offer.

"The food isn't real fancy here," Mako informed, his eyes glued to the menu. "Just the common meals you would find in any nations' home."

"All of it sounds amazing!" Korra exclaimed with hunger in her eyes.

Mako glanced up from his menu, concealing his grin from behind it. "I swear, if you order everything on here –"

"I'm not a pig, Mako," she snapped with a glare, but her features soon softened and she immediately let out a laugh.

Korra reverted her eyes to her menu once again, wondering which dish she should have. All the choices sounded delicious and tempting, but she just couldn't choose. After a moment, she felt an intense gaze in her direction, but chose to ignore it. As another moment went by, the stare had not ceased, and as she glanced up from her menu, Mako was eyeing her in a way she had never seen him look at her before. Her heart skipped a beat, the rush of blood flowing to her cheeks.

"Mako?" she asked confusedly. "What's up? Is something on me or …?"

"No," he simply answered.

"Oh. Then, why are you looking at me like that? You look like Naga when she's starving for meat," she laughed. "Are you _that _hungry?"

He grinned. "You can say that."

Korra's face flushed at the implication, and her eyes returned to her menu. She never thought Mako as the flirtatious type, or even as the lovey-dovey sort of person. But then she recalled the eskimo kisses, winks, and blown kisses she had to endure watching when Mako and her best friend, Asami, were dating. She dearly hoped she wouldn't resort to that, and promised herself to hit Mako if he ever attempted to do the same to her.

Yet again, she felt the passionate stare of her boyfriend, and her face became heated once again.

Annoyed, she inquired, "Mako, is there something on my face?"

"Just the opposite. You're face is perfect the way it is." He leaned towards her, saying, "Looking at you closely, you're really cute when you blush." And he burst out laughing when her face became the deepest shade of red he had never seen. She kicked his shin from underneath the table and his laugh grew exceptionally louder.

"Stop laughing, Mako!" she grumbled. "I'm not your entertainment!" she pouted.

"I'm sorry," he replied in between laughs, "but you're so fun to tease. Alright, alright. I'll stop," he simpered. And to Korra's relief, he did.

As her eyes returned to her boyfriend, Mako's attention was all over the restaurant, his mind clearly back in time as he recalled old memories.

Korra's voice brought him back to the present as she asked, "So … When's the last time you've been here?"

The firebender sighed. "The last time was the week right before my parents ... passed. After that … Well, Bo and I didn't have any money to buy anything, and I completely forgot about this place until now."

Korra bowed her head, saddened that Mako's childhood was not a happy one. She decided not to ask anymore, as she knew his past was a sensitive subject. Mako noticed her mood change and immediately inquired what was wrong.

"I'm sorry," she sincerely apologized. "You had a difficult past, and … Maybe I should've asked something else."

"Korra. It's fine," he reassured her with a smile. "It's all in the past –"

"I know," she cut in. "But I wish it hadn't happened. With your parents …"

"I wish it hadn't happened either. But it did, and I can't change that." He paused, gently setting his gloved hand on hers, causing his girlfriend to raise her head. "Hey. There's always a bright side to things. Listen. If my parents were still here, I'd never have met you."

"You mean the Avatar," she pouted. "Anybody could meet the Avatar."

He smiled. "True. _But_ …" He paused, staring deeply into her oceanic, baby blue eyes, drowning in the sea of mystery, ferocity, and wonder that harbored in those breathtaking bright orbs of hers. This girl had come into his life unexpectedly, along with all the other unexpected events in his life. But with all things that ever happened during his short lifetime, Korra was a wave of hope and love that had changed his life forever and for the better.

He smiled.

"I'd never have gotten to know 'Korra.' You're more than just the Avatar." He chuckled to himself before adding, "Ultimately, you're Korra: the girl who drives me crazy."

"You better mean that in a good way, City Boy," she playfully threatened.

He grinned, "Of course … But mostly in a bad way." And she used her free hand to flick his forehead, resulting in a lively laugh from her teasing boyfriend. Korra smiled as she watched her boyfriend laugh – after everything they had been through, especially after their frightening and almost life-changing one-on-one battle with Amon, she was more than glad to see that Mako could still laugh. He hadn't changed much, and he was the same Mako that she had known months before. Except, ever since declaring their love one for one another at the South Pole, Mako appeared happier, possibly even livelier. She hoped that she was a possible contributor to that change.

She failed to notice Mako calling her name, and as he noticed she was curiously deep in thought, he attempted to grab her attention by doing something that would undoubtedly surprise her. He quietly lifted himself from his seat, bending over the table to capture his lips on hers. Her eyes shot open at the sudden gesture, her cheeks as red as the scarf worn around Mako's neck. He pulled back before she had a chance to respond, smirking in accomplishment.

"W-what was that?!" she exclaimed.

"You were ignoring me, so this was the only way to get your attention."

Neither had realized a young waitress had come up to their table, having unfortunately watched the entire scene before her eyes, clearing her throat awkwardly to make her presence known. The couple turned to the young woman, who was surely feeling uncomfortable.

"A-are you two ready to order?"

Mako answered with a smile, "Yes," not feeling embarrassed in the least. Korra, on the other hand, lowered her head behind her menu, her entire face blazing in complete and utter embarrassment. As her boyfriend ordered his food in a nonchalant manner, Korra's thoughts were going a mile a minute.

_She _saw_ us?! Mako! Urgh! Why did he do that? That _idiot!_ We're in public! Wait, can he do that? Is that a boyfriend's privilege? Does that mean I can do that too? I'm not good at this couple stuff! Argh, my face is so hot! Is it my turn to order? I don't want them to see my face! What was it that I wanted to order again?_

"Korra?" Mako asked.

She glanced up from her menu, first at Mako then the waitress, then back at her menu in her hands. She couldn't remember what she wanted to order, her mind already in a frenzy, and as she stumbled to remember what she had decided to order, she exclaimed, "I'll-just-have-whatever-he's-having!"

The waitress nodded, taking both their menus off their hands, informing them that their food would be ready shortly. Korra huffed, resting her chin in her palm, and faced the blank wall to her right.

Mako raised an eyebrow, as his eyes drifted back to his pouty girlfriend. "Korra."

She refused to respond.

"Korra," he called once again with yet another failed response. He rolled his eyes, releasing a disbelieving sigh. "Why are you upset?"

Her eyes moved to his, her frown becoming a sneer. "Why do you _think?_ You kissed me!"

"Yes, that's what boyfriends do. It's pretty normal."

"Well, _excuse me_ for being new at this!" she snappily retorted.

Mako was taken aback, unsure of why she was in a foul mood. In the corner of his eyes, he could see that Korra's exclamations were drawing unwanted attention by many in the restaurant, and he sincerely didn't want to get in a loud argument in public. In a low voice, he whispered in a hasty hiss, "What are you talking about? You didn't seem upset when you first kissed me, knowing I was already in a relationship." Immediately, he wished to punch himself, as that was probably the dumbest thing he could've said.

Korra was furious but remained unnaturally calm as she responded, "Y'know what? I'm not hungry anymore." She slammed her palms on the table, pushing her chair back, and left the table. Mako soon followed after her, weaving through the chairs that Korra pulled from nearby tables to slow the firebender down, eyes trailing the couple as they exited the building.

"Korra!" he yelled, but she didn't turn.

Korra began to storm away, but Mako caught her forearm, forcing her to stop. He rested his hands on her shoulders, spinning her around to face him.

"Korra –"

"I don't want to hear it," she growled, removing his hands from her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

She scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Sure doesn't sound like it."

Mako stepped directly in front of her, his tone softened as well as his features. "I _am._ I shouldn't have brought up something from the past. Especially _that_ – it was uncalled for." He sighed. "I know you're not used to this 'dating stuff,' but I'm not an expert, Korra; no one is. There aren't any 'rules' you have to follow in a relationship. With you, I never know _what's_ gonna happen," he laughed, and a small twitch of a smile crept on Korra's face. "I only act upon how I feel – I love you, which is why I don't care who sees us kissing, holding hands, whatever. I only care about what _you_ think. So … will you come back inside?"

There was a slight pause before Korra answered, pretending to contemplate her decision. "Alright," she finally answered. "But, let me make this clear." She grabbed Mako's scarf, lowering his face to hers, kissing him soundly on the lips. As always, Korra was full of surprises, and Mako reiterated the previous statement in his head,_ I never know _what's_ gonna happen,_ and he smiled against her.

As her fingers intertwined with his, she whispered in his ear, "I won't let you have the upper hand in this relationship."

[End of Flashback]

* * *

Mako ran as fast as he possibly could, wishing he had brought money to ride the trolley or take a taxi as it would have made his journey much shorter. He finally reached the restaurant, however his hopes were dashed completely as the entire building was dark; the lights that normally brightened up the place had been turned off. Now, he had no idea where else to look, where Korra might be. She could have already gone home, but there was the possibility of her still on her date with Kaji. It was all too late. He slumped down on the steps to the entrance of the restaurant, just thinking.

_It's over,_ he thought. He then shook his head at the depressing conclusion. _No. Maybe she didn't enjoy herself; maybe she realized dating him was a mis – Don't kid yourself, Mako. I blew up at her today. She doesn't want to see me._

He exasperated a weighty sigh – regret, defeat, and loss expelled in that heavy release of air. He rose from the ground, his legs taking him to who-knows-where as his mind was elsewhere entirely. He wondered what he should do – whether he should return home or continue walking aimlessly in the night. He decided the latter.

Time had long passed as he wandered through the dark and cold, unaware of his current location. He tugged his scarf tighter around his neck, shivering as a chill rolled down his spine. His eyes shot forward, streetlamps lighting the stone pathway he walked on.

_The park,_ he thought. _Of course. Why is it that I end up here whenever I don't know where I'm going?_

He noticed the couples that surrounded him, both young and old ones in love, but seeing them only made him even more depressed and he reminisced on old memories. As he advanced, a familiar voice rung through his ear, and a laugh he'd notice in a heartbeat was up ahead.

_Guess luck was actually on my side the whole time._

His legs began moving before he had time to think, and his heart beat fast in anticipation. He spotted the two sitting on a bench under a streetlight – Kaji's cheeks were a tinge of red and he appeared flustered, as opposed to Korra who was laughing exceedingly hard. Mako assumed Kaji did or said something foolish that made the girl laugh. But what Mako did next surprised even himself. He dashed over to the opposite side of the pathway, skulking behind the trees, bushes, and rocks until he was behind a tree in front of the couple. He wasn't exactly sure why he hid, but maybe it was because he couldn't stand interrupting something that revealed Korra was enjoying herself; her smile and laugh so genuine he couldn't find it in him to show himself and lower the girl's spirits.

He was still hidden behind the tree, his body leaning against its trunk, contemplating what he should do.

_Maybe I should leave,_ the firebender suggested. He peeked out to view the couple again, and his eyes became fixated on Korra. He took notice of the elegant Water Tribe dress she wore, her hair out of her wolf-tail as it rested on her bare shoulders. The girl was stunning, and Mako couldn't remember when she looked so beautiful. He turned back around, jealousy once again eating his core.

_She always hated dressing up for our dates,_ he thought bitterly. _So, why him? Why's he so special? _

He sighed, trying to calm himself. His ears suddenly perked up in interest as he heard Kaji's voice.

"You want to know why I became a tailor?" the young man asked. Mako guessed that Korra had written the question on a notepad she may have brought along with her.

"I don't think you'll want to hear my boring life story," he dismissed with a chuckle. "It's not that exciting, and it's sorta depressing. Besides, I'd have to start from the beginning."

As there was a brief silence, Mako imagined Korra had pouted in protest, urging him to tell his story.

Kaji laughed. "Ok, ok. I'll tell you. Now, let's see … Where to begin …"

In the end, Mako chose to stay, thinking it best to better understand his rival and who he really is.

"How about this? I'll start with the end, and then go back to the beginning.

"To tell you the truth, I always had the ability and skill of a tailor, but that didn't come into light until I was a little older. I was pushed to fix, patch, and make my own clothes with old cloths and rags found around the house as my family was poor and didn't have the money for new clothes. My mother became a wreck and very ill due to the carelessness of my father," he explained resentfully, his eyes turning dark as his lips formed the word. "My mother passed away when I was thirteen, and by then my father was already gone. I still don't know if he's dead, but I like to think so. I tried finding all kinds of jobs to support myself, but not many jobs would higher kids my age. I can't remember when or how, but the boss at my current job hired me immediately when he saw my talent. But how this _all _came to be, is where the actual story begins.

"When I was yay high," he said, making a gesture to implicate how tall he was, "my family had been very prosperous, and that was a time I actually _wanted_ my father around. Mom was a plump lady, the healthiest I ever remember her being. Father was one of the most faithful and grateful people on the planet at that time, loving time with his family. He even taught me firebending," he smiled, igniting a small flame in his hand, watching it dance in his palm. Korra never expected the young man to be a bender – he was full of surprises. He extinguished the flame as he resumed his tale.

"Years went by, and my father had been the same. Until one day, my mother and I noticed a distinct change. Gradually, he became more distant and serious, and whenever my mother would ask what was wrong, he refused to answer. He began spending less time with me and my mom, and she couldn't handle it anymore. After weeks of asking, my father finally revealed to my mother that he had been gambling all our money away, and she was furious. We had to sell our furniture to help pay off debts, but it wasn't enough. Eventually, we had to move out of our expensive home, and into a more suburban one, and an unpleasant one at that. It was more like a ghetto, now that I recall.

"Mom had lost significant weight, and father couldn't break away from his gambling addiction, and we rarely saw his face anymore. Mom absolutely abhorred the living conditions we were in, and the neighborhood wasn't very kind either. Food was scarce, and Mom was growing weak and couldn't find a good job that would accept her. Father actually started to care, so I knew he wasn't _completely_ heartless. Mom ordered him to get a job, to earn some money for the family. He promised he'd find money, and man, did he.

"On the night of my eighth birthday, he came home with a great amount of cash I hadn't seen in years. My mother, of course, inquired where he got the money, but he refused to answer. It was so much, and so sudden. He screamed at her, 'You said you wanted money?! Well, here! If you don't want it, then I'll keep it for myself!' Right then, father appeared as a stranger. I could see fear and guilt in his eyes, as if he had done something worthy of death. Mother saw it as well.

"She refused to take the money, and without fail, interrogated my father where he got the money and why he remained paranoid after coming home with that cash. And even now, I can still remember every word that passed that day."

* * *

[Flashback]

It was almost midnight, the pitter-patter of rain crashing upon the destitute family's poor, pathetic excuse for a house. Kaji's birthday was well forgotten as his parents' screams rose above the rain outside, keeping the boy awake and fearful of his father's escalating exclamations. Kaji peeked through the door of the only room in the house, listening to his parents argue for over an hour. This was the worst birthday he ever had.

"You really want to know where I got it?!" Kaji's father slammed his fist against the wall, his anger taking over his haggard form. "Fine. I'll tell you! I _killed_ to get it. I _stole_ it! Happy?!" His wild, orange eyes were furious, but behind it, an emotion of fear.

His wife practically had a heart attack from shock, her bright, amber eyes wide in disgusted horror. "You k-killed –?!" She shook her head, wishing all this was a lie. "You. Did. What?!"

"I mugged some family. Don't know who. But they had money! We _needed _that money!" he defended himself.

"But you don't kill to get it! Or steal it! Both are crimes!" she exclaimed, tears streaming down her thin, pronounced cheeks.

"It was either _we_ die, or _they_ die," he hissed.

"Who did you mug?"

"Just some random couple."

"But you said 'family.' That means there had to be children there. Were there any children?" Kaji's mother demanded. "Did you murder any children?"

Her husband said nothing, turning his body away in shame.

"I said, did you murder any children?!" she repeated, her heart beating anxiously.

He sighed. "There was a child," he admitted hoarsely, shame evident in his low voice. "He looked to be about Kaji's age. I – I didn't kill him." His wife's face became pale as a ghost, placing a hand over her heart. Kaji shut the door quietly, having heard enough, and came to the conclusion that his father was the worst human being on earth. For all he cared, his father could die. He never thought he'd hate someone so much.

The man conjured a small flame in his filthy and shaky hand, gazing at the very weapon he used to commit his crime. "The boy just watched … as I …"

[End of Flashback]

* * *

Kaji was able to dodge the fire attack that appeared out of nowhere, the flames narrowly missing his face. Mako emerged from the darkness, fury embodying the firebender as he stood in the light, making his presence known. He raised his arm, igniting yet another flame that licked the very tips of his fingers, his fire burning angrily in his palm. Kaji froze in absolute fear, but Korra stood up, readying herself for Mako's next attack.

_What is he doing?!_ Korra wondered. _I knew he didn't want me going on a date with Kaji, but is he _that _opposed to it that he wants to kill him?!_

Kaji gulped, his heart pounding in his throat. "Y-you were that guy earlier," he whispered, more to himself. "W-why did you attack me? I d-didn't do anything —"

"You're the offspring of a murderer," Mako hissed, his flame growing exuberantly in size.

Kaji began to protest, "But I didn't –"

"Your father killed my parents," Mako spat with hatred. "I knew there was something about you that I hated – your eyes." He advanced towards the two, Korra raising her defenses. "You share the eyes of that cold-blooded, psychopathic murderer!" he yelled accusingly, throwing yet another blast of fire at his rival. Kaji evaded the attack, jumping off the bench, and stumbling on his own feet.

Kaji then raised his arms defensively, saying, "The boy was you? Look, I apologize for what my father did —"

"'Sorry' won't bring my parents back," Mako snapped. "I can't have you, the son of my parents' killer, being anywhere near me or Korra."

"I completely understand what you mean," Kaji acknowledged, "but _I _didn't mug your parents! I – What do you want me to do?!" he asked desperately.

"Leave," Mako commanded.

"What?" Kaji's question less than a whisper. Korra stared at Mako flabbergasted, baffled at his sudden demand.

Mako stepped towards the young man, pulling him by his shirt. "I said to leave, before I lose what sanity I have left."

Kaji finally decided to put his foot down, glaring at the angry firebender. "I don't have to listen to you." He took Mako's coat in his own hands, both men sharing intimidating glares. The static between them was strong; their amber eyes alight with fire.

"Fine," Mako said, lessening his grip on Kaji as his rival did the same. "You want to fight me? Well, for your sake, don't hold back."

The two stepped back in unison, glaring intensely at one another as they wondered who would be the first to attack. As they circled around each other, Kaji lost his footing for a brief second, and Mako found this opening as an opportunity and took it. He delivered the first attack with a swift punch of hot flames, but Kaji dodged it, though not too easily. Both knew this fight wouldn't last long, as Mako was undeniably the better fighter. In contrast, Kaji was a tailor, not a fighter; and being a tailor never required bending, as fire is clothes' dangerous enemy. Kaji hadn't firebended in years, and his fighting technique was incredibly awkward. But his male pride wouldn't let him back down, even if the odds were stacked against him.

Kaji counterattacked with his own punch of fire, weaker than Mako's but enough to barely graze the ends of his opponent's red scarf around his neck as Mako dodged the attack to the side. He patted the sparks off his scarf, shooting daggers at his adversary. Mako's eyes grew fearfully cold, his features darkened as he raised his arms for a powerful attack. Korra now wished to intervene and end this battle. But suddenly, the look on the firebender's eyes brought remembrance to the young Avatar, and she became _very_ afraid. The memory played in the back of her mind as she watched Mako firebend Kaji; the world became silent as she watched the familiar scene in slow motion.

"_And hopefully this will shut you up for good!" _she recalled Mako screaming in the Probending Gym as he blasted her towards the wall and everything turned black.

Kaji crossed his arms over his face for self-defense, but the attack was too great, and he flew off his feet, landing in one of the numerous ponds that existed throughout the park. The water was fairly shallow and freezing in temperature, Kaji shivering as he sat in the shallowest part of the small pond.

Before Korra could realize what was happening, Mako grabbed her wrist, dragging her away with him. Korra quickly brought herself back to reality, freeing her arm from his grasp.

Mako turned to face her, his eyes impatient but clear of exhaustion. "Korra. We're leaving. Now," he ordered sternly, taking one of her hands in his. His grip was painfully tight, and his hand in hers only made her sick with anger and hate. He walked on, Korra struggling behind him as she tried to free herself from the abrasive firebender. She needed and wanted to return to Kaji, to check if he was hurt, and she didn't want to end the date in such a terrible way. She struggled to get free, but her strength was weak as she was now ultimately afraid of Mako. She remembered his face as he brutally attacked her. She still couldn't fully remember who he was exactly, but that memory was enough to tell her that Mako was forgotten for a reason.

She eventually freed herself, attempting to escape back to Kaji. Mako reacted fast and stopped her, angrier than ever as he spun her around to face him.

"You want to go back to that guy?" he asked with incredulity. "Korra, I've told you. No good can come from someone like him. We're. Leaving."

The Avatar lifted her arm to firebend him, but failed as he caught her fist in the air. She was frightened. She was mad. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him how horrible he was, how she desperately wanted him far away from her. No words would come out, but she impelled herself to scream something that would force him away.

After weeks of being mute, after all this time of being unable to say a simple word, Korra finally said her first word.

"G-GO!"

Mako became still as a statue, wondering if his ears had deceived him. Was that Korra's voice just now? It had almost been foreign to him, having forgotten what she truly sounded like. As much as he loved hearing her voice once again, her command had broken his heart.

"What did you say?" his voice barely a whisper.

"Go!" she repeated without hesitation.

Mako understood – she wanted him gone, for him to get away from her. His previous demeanor had dissipated, and he reverted back to his normal self. The way she stared at him, it was filled with hate and resentment. What had he done? He had accomplished the opposite of what he wished to do. Now, she would never love him, nor even view him as a friend. It was over, and his heart shattered into pieces.

He was empty; he was nothing.

Mako set his hand on her cheek, and she flinched at his touch, frightened at what he'd do next. The young firebender slowly lowered his head down to Korra, his forehead almost touching hers. She could see that his eyes were so full of heartbreak, and he appeared close to crying. His eyes bored into her bright cerulean ones, his amber eyes filled with sadness, loss, and dejection. He slowly caressed her cheek with his thumb, holding back the tears that he desperately wished to shed.

"I love you," he whispered, his confession ultimately shocking the young Avatar. She was dumbfounded and wasn't sure what to think. He removed his hand from her face, his eyes never once leaving her, burning the image of his beloved before leaving for good. Mako took a step back, and before turning away entirely, he said his final words.

"Goodbye … Korra."

She watched him leave, as she stayed planted where she stood, his body almost completely out of sight and far into the dark of the night that surrounded them. Her eyes grew wide and unblinking, something deep and dormant within her resurfacing. As if at once, forgotten memories began to pour themselves back into her mind, memories of someone she had lost regained. Her heart exploded with forgotten emotions, recalling the love and passion she felt for the young firebender; and upon remembering her heart pained unlike ever before. She burst into a waterfall of hot tears, crying harder and louder than she ever had in her young life. Without a doubt, she loved Mako more than anything in the entire world. She remembered him. She finally remembered him. But she had told him to go.

And he was gone.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ *__sigh* Alright, I'll admit it: I'm unnecessarily cruel. :P And no, Mako's not dead. As the author, even _I_ am thoroughly surprised Mako hasn't committed suicide yet._

_Soooo … *clears thought* Thoughts? Hopefully, it was worth the long wait I put you guys through (I apologize for that), and that you guys at least enjoyed it. I hope the next chapter won't take that long to update … Or be the same freakish length like _this_ chapter (seriously – 11,000 words?!) If there's anything strange, weird, or confusing, don't be afraid to tell me __–_ this chapter was a real pain to write (and probably not my best work), and I tried to be as clear as I could. The last thing I want is confused readers.  


_Happy Halloween, everyone! Mwahahaha! _

_As always, please review and tell me what you guys think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it – I appreciate either one! XD_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Previously on "Say My Name": **_

_Korra and the handsome tailor named Kaji go on their date, but it is soon disrupted when Mako attacks Kaji upon knowing that the young man's father killed Mako's parents. The two men fight, but Mako is the victor, dragging Korra away with him. By the end of the night, Mako realizes that it is over between him and Korra, and he leaves for good. But as if by cruel fate, Korra finally remembers him. What is to become of these young lovers?_

* * *

Korra wasn't sure how long she stood there, weeping alone in the darkness of the night. She had forgotten her surroundings, her head growing fuzzy as she cried aloud. She failed to hear Kaji approaching her, his soaked shoes sloshing on the concrete pathway as he walked towards her. He was rather bitter as his clothes and body were drenched from head to toe, completely Mako's doing as the firebender's attack had knocked the young tailor into the water. Kaji's attitude had changed, however, when he found Korra crying to herself alone. He was unsure of what had happened to make her cry like this, to cry unlike anyone he had ever seen. To him, Korra didn't seem the kind of girl to be so emotional – she appeared to be a strong girl, both physically and emotionally. But as he immediately recalled the firebender who attacked him, everything began to make sense.

He hesitated, but he slowly put an arm around Korra's shoulders for comfort and to let her know he was there for her. The girl flinched in surprise as she felt something wet gently wrap around her frame.

As she quickly realized it was Kaji, she did her best to wipe away her tears and snot before facing him. The young man removed his arm from Korra, his hand digging for something in his pants' pocket. He took out a handkerchief and began wringing it out. He handed the object to the young woman who gladly accepted it.

"'A gentleman should always carry around a handkerchief,' my manager always says. I'm sorry it's all wet," Kaji apologized. Korra shook her head, using her waterbending to extract the rest of the water from the small cloth. As she blew her nose, the young man began to speak again.

"Korra. I know I appear, well, a klutz … and maybe slightly unintelligent," he chuckled lightly, "but there are some things I can understand clearly. I may be jumping straight to conclusions, but I don't think it's far from the truth."

He paused before letting out a sigh.

"That firebender who attacked me just now … You love him, huh?"

The Avatar flinched, simply stunned that this young man had hit the nail directly on the head. Not all of her memories of Mako had fully returned, but her love for him was undeniable and unforgotten. Even with her amnesia she had loved him, but that emotion had been lying in wait until it finally resurfaced, and at the worst possible time.

The young man continued, "I suspected from how you were acting just now. He didn't attack you physically, but, emotionally, there's something going on between you two."

The Avatar stared at him with wide eyes. How could he figure out the situation so quickly?

Kaji set his hands in his pockets, lifting his head to gaze at the light of the full moon through the rustling leaves of the trees. He shivered in his damp clothes as a soft cold breeze kissed his wet skin.

"Y'know," he resumed after a moment's silence, "I actually already knew that that guy liked you beforehand. It was pretty obvious with just one glance. I assumed he was your boyfriend the way he was acting so possessive and territorial, which is why I asked when I did. But I was shocked when he answered, 'No'. I must've really upset him when I asked you out though."

Korra took out her notebook and pen, writing "I'm sorry." She was incredibly sorry, apologizing for both her and Mako. She knew that writing an apology wouldn't excuse anything, but it was the best she could do, and she _was _truly sorry. As she showed it to the young man, he simply shook his head, saying, "No, no, no. It's fine. I _should_ be angry, but … I've never found anger a reasonable solution for anything," he smiled. "Let's just go back to the shop – your clothes are still there, right?"

As they began their walk back to the clothing store, Kaji asked, "Korra? Before we leave the park, is there any chance you could, uh, dry me off first?"

* * *

The very next morning, Korra awoke from her slumber earlier than normal. Sleeping had proved difficult as her dreams were filled with nothing but sorrow and sadness. Her mind could not keep itself from thinking about last night and the only man to have ever stolen her heart. Mako's face was burned into her head: it had been empty, and his eyes were filled with nothing as he gave his final goodbye to his one true love. Korra's heart felt strangely heavy as she believed all of this to be her fault, causing her lover grief as she failed to recall him for weeks and months. Her first and only word to him after several weeks of being mute was "Go!" – a command that told him that she no longer wished to see him, and that she wanted him far and away from her.

She laid in her bed, wanting to bang her head as hard as possible against the wall, calling herself "stupid" and "idiot" over and over. Of course, she knew that that would not help anything, and she stayed in her bed, restless and dismayed.

She forced herself to get out of bed, and she stretched her limbs, sluggishly making her way to the only window in the room. She opened the shutters, squinting as the early sun stung her eyes. From all of her crying last night, her eyelids had turned red and puffy, and she dearly hoped they weren't so noticeable – she never liked nosy questioning afterall.

As her vision adjusted to the light, her eyes trailed from Yue Bay to the magnificent arena that settled miles away from Air Temple Island. As she stood there staring at the impressive building for a moment, a sudden revelation dawned on the young Avatar. She quickly got ready for the day, flying out of her room as fast as she could.

_He's at the Arena!_ she thought enthusiastically. _I can just go over there and show him that I remember, and everything will go back to the way it was! I mean, hopefully it will …_

With airbending, she rushed through the Air Temple at a high speed, being careful not to knock down anything or anyone. As she turned the corner, Pema happened to be walking through with a laundry basket in her arms, and Korra came to a sudden halt. The Water Tribe girl practically lost her balance, but thankfully kept herself from falling flat on her face. Pema jolted in surprise, almost dropping the laundry basket and all its contents on the Temple floor.

"Oh! Korra, you scared me! You know better than to run around the Temple," the woman scolded. She rested the basket on her hip, staring at the young Avatar curiously. "What are you doing up so early, dear? You're _never_ up this early. And what's the rush?"

The Avatar had no particular desire to converse with Pema at this point in time, especially since Korra had nothing to write with for communication. If she had thought it through, she should have escaped through her window to avoid any interactions with anyone on the island that would delay her, as what was happening now. She desired to go see Mako as quick as she possibly could to make things right again, and she didn't want to waste a second.

She wasn't one to be rude to her elders, but as Mako was more important to her at the moment than the respect of her elders, she decided just this one time would be the exception. She zipped passed Pema in haste, ignoring the woman's calls.

"Korra? Korra! Where are you going?!" Pema yelled, but to no avail. She shook her head, and continued on with her chores. "Hmm. I wonder what happened. Her eyes were so red and swollen …"

* * *

In no time at all, Korra had arrived at the Probending Arena, and, with an anxious and pounding heart, she made her way to the stairway leading to the Fire Ferret Brothers' abode. She stood frozen in one place, not yet taking the first step. She had never felt so nervous in her life. She wasn't sure why she was, but she supposed it might be because she was afraid he would no longer have feelings for her after all that's happened.

With a deep breath, she took the first few steps, slowly making her way up the stairs. With a building confidence, she hurried faster with each step, her heart beating at an uncontrollable rate. As she finally reached the attic, the first face she noticed was Bolin's, who was rather surprised to see her. Oddly enough though, he looked disappointed to see his friend, as if he was expecting someone else.

Mako was nowhere in sight. Something felt wrong.

"Korra?" Bolin asked as he approached the young Avatar. His normal happy-go-lucky face wasn't apparent on him; instead, he appeared troubled and concerned.

"Well, it's really cool to see you and all," he resumed, "but now I'm _really _worried. Mako hasn't been home since yesterday."

* * *

The young firebender wandered the streets aimlessly all throughout the night, paying attention to nothing but his thoughts. He even failed to notice that night had soon become day, and that the city had become alive with activity, with the streets and sidewalks busier and buzzing with cars and people.

As he leaned against a building to rest his feet that begged for a break, he nearly collapsed from lack of sleep and exhaustion. He held his head as the world around him began spinning, and his mind grew increasingly fuzzy as he tried to think.

"Are you okay?" someone asked with great concern, placing a hand gently on Mako's shoulder.

Recognizing the voice right away, he looked up and mumbled in disbelief, "Asami?"

She smiled as she looked at her friend. "Haven't seen _you_ in a while. I was just driving around to give myself a breather from all the work at Future Industries, until I saw you here. You don't look so good, Mako," she frowned.

He stood up straight, and with a weak smile he assured her, "It's nothing."

She replied sternly, "Mako. I'm not stupid. You look like you've been walking around all night; you don't even seem like yourself. What happened?"

The firebender heaved a great sigh before answering. "It's – it's a long story, and I just don't feel like explaining the entire thing here."

"Well, then you can explain it over at my place," she suggested, walking over to her clearly expensive vehicle. The thing alone brought much attention to passersby, and many envious men gawked at it. Mako, on the other hand, saw no interest in it, and was more surprised by Asami's sudden invitation than her newest Satomobile model. In fact, he gave an incredulous, _"What?"_

"I haven't seen you, Bolin, _or_ Korra in a long time," she explained as she opened her car door. "You're my friends, and I miss being with you guys. I want to know what's been happening in my friends' lives. Just looking at you, I know something happened, and I'm guessing it has _nothing_ to do with your brother." As Asami got herself comfortable in the driver's seat, she smiled, "Now get in – we've got a lot of catching up to do."

While Mako did miss talking to his friend, truthfully he was not in the mood to talk to anyone. But as Asami was a headstrong type of girl, he surrendered as he was much too tired to argue. He reluctantly got in the car, knowing it would be impossible to decline her invitation.

The entire car ride, Mako said very little, simply letting Asami share her stories of being the new head of Future Industries. He tried his best to listen, but his mind was elsewhere more than half the time. As Air Temple Island would sometimes come into view when it could be seen in the distance, he absolutely refused to look at it.

* * *

Bolin and Korra sat on the red sofa in the Probending Arena's attic, the young Avatar explaining all that had transpired yesterday night. She scribbled a quick summary of what had happened for the young earthbender who read as she wrote. He immediately stopped her hand when she revealed that her date had been the son of the very murderer who killed both his and Mako's parents. The 16 year old was dumbfounded, and wasn't sure how to react to this news.

"Wow," he uttered, stunned. "That's … that's – I dunno what to say, but … Mako must've been pretty upset when he found out, huh."

Korra nodded in response, writing, "Yeah. I've never seen him so angry like that before. It was scary."

Bolin reclined on the couch, staring blankly up at the ceiling. "Mako's never felt comfortable talking about our parents' death because he was there, y'know? As orphans on the street, I remember my brother once telling me, 'Don't worry. We'll make it through. But if I ever see that guy again, I'll make sure he'll pay.' I guess the guy's son was the closest Mako could get to revenge." He sighed and said, "Anyways, what happened after that?"

Korra continued, having great difficulty explaining the rest.

"So, my brother said goodbye and left? And you remembered him _after_ that? Oh, man …" he said, shaking his head. "If only you remembered him sooner. I mean, not that it's your fault, but if you had remembered him sooner you guys would've had your 'happy ending' or whatever."

Feeling defeated and at a loss, she slouched on the worn-out sofa, not sure what to do. Bolin glanced over at his friend, knowing that he had no words of comfort to give. Instead, he stood up, and with a beaming smile he proposed, "C'mon, Korra! We won't be able to find him if we sit around moping."

With a roll of her eyes, she wrote, "The city's too big; we'll never find him."

The newly energized earthbender exclaimed, "Well, if we have _that_ attitude, then we'll _never _find him. Ok, sure, the city's huge and the chances of finding him are small, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try! We know he's in the city; we can ask around 'cause someone's bound to have seen him.

"He's my brother, Korra. I'm worried."

* * *

"Welcome back, Miss Sato," Asami's butler smiled as he opened the entrance door to the mansion. "How was your ride?"

"It was great but short," she answered with a sigh, but with a grin she added, "and I brought a friend."

The man responded in return, "Yes, I noticed," as he directed the two into the luxurious building. Mako was unable to tell by the man's tone if he was actually pleased by the young firebender's presence. The butler continued, "By the way, Miss, there was an important call during your absence concerning the materials for the planes. I informed the caller that you'd call back as soon as you returned home."

Mako gave his friend a quick glance, and he exasperated a sigh, saying, "I should probably leave. You're busy and – "

"Mako," she interrupted. "You just got here. There's no way I'm turning you away like that." As all three persons came to a halt, the raven-haired woman turned her full attention to her friend, saying, "You look tired. How about you rest for a bit while I make a call?"

As the young man was about to protest, Asami shook her head and said, "Don't argue. You can sleep in one of the rooms here. Trust me, you won't be a bother."

Much too weak both mentally and physically to argue with the young woman – and actually quite annoyed at how powerless he was at the moment – he scratched the back of his head, and breathed out an, "Alright. You win."

Asami nodded to her butler, who understood the command and gave Mako a short but courteous bow.

"This way, sir."

As the firebender silently followed the man, his mental state was gradually regressing. Never in his life had he ever gone a day without sleep, so this horrible feeling was entirely new, and frankly he greatly disliked it.

Entering the room granted to him, the first thing he saw was a bed, and how relieved he was to see it! He literally collapsed on it, wondering the last time he had slept on a bed so comfortable. He was much too lazy to remove his shoes, coat and scarf, and simply laid on the bed without a care. He found it extremely odd that this happened to be the first time in years that he had slept and stayed in a room alone. Even when Asami had offered her mansion as a place to stay for both him and his little brother a few months ago, he had shared a room with Bolin out of habit.

"Feeling lonely, bro?"

Mako's head shot up from the pillow, utterly surprised at the sudden voice. "Who's that?" the young firebender asked. "Bo?"

"Aw, c'mon! Can't you recognize your dear brother's voice?"

As Mako rubbed his weary eyes, his head turned to his brother's voice, seeing Bolin in clear sight, who stood beside the bed with a goofy grin plastered on his childish face. The elder brother stared at the earthbender in disbelief, wondering how on earth Bolin was here.

"Do you know how worried I was?" the younger asked. "I mean, you didn't return home. You've _never_ done that before. Sure, you've been gone for long periods of time before, but you always returned."

Mako looked away shamefully and apologized. "Sorry, Bo. I just – something happened last night, and I … had no energy to return home. I'll leave once I get some sleep, ok? … Bolin? … Bo?"

As the firebender looked back in the direction his brother was previously standing, the earthbender was gone.

"I'm hallucinating," Mako concluded as he dragged his hand across his face. "This is crazy – I need to get some rest."

As he slammed his head back down on the pillow, and shut his eyes to finally get the sleep he deserved, a voice he hadn't heard in a long while whispered his name. Mako clenched his eyes tighter and used his pillow to desperately cover his ears, yet his heart beat wildly in his chest. He refused to see; he refused to hear. As the voice called his name once again, the distressed firebender mumbled through gritted teeth, "You're not here; you're not real. Go away."

"'Go away?' But I love you," the voice replied.

Immediately, the young man's eyes shot open, and he sat up, glaring at the Water Tribe girl. With an enraged temper, he responded, "Don't lie to me. Last night, you proved you hate me. You don't even _remember _me."

With bitterness in her tone, the voice accused, "You're the one to blame for that."

Mako shook his head, as if to rid off this unwanted delusion. "You're a hallucination," he uttered to himself. "That's all you are."

Approaching the bed, Korra scoffed, "So, that's what I am to you? Nothing but a figment of your imagination? Seriously? I mean much more to you. I'm why you can't sleep."

"Enough," the firebender hissed. He covered his ears with his hands, wishing to ignore the illusion before him. But unfortunately, Korra would not disappear.

"You're afraid of losing someone else you love. But, I'm already gone, aren't I? You didn't lose me over death though; instead, you just let me go, willingly removing me from your life forever."

"It wasn't because I wanted to!" Mako yelled angrily, but, inside, guilt panged his heart. "What else was I supposed to do, Korra? You forgot me. Do you know how hard it is to love someone who doesn't remember who you are, who you _were?!_

"You and I are over, Korra," he growled. "Our _love_ for each other is over."

"You don't believe that, Mako," the girl immediately returned, her hand rested proudly on her hip. "Then why lose sleep over me if you no longer love me? Why would I be standing in front of you right now if I weren't on your mind? You're denying everything, and you know it."

"Shut. Up," the firebender threatened as his fury was reaching new heights. He endeavored to cover his ears once again, but her voice was literally inside his head and he could not escape it. Despite what he wanted, the Avatar continued to speak, and Mako simply wished for this torture – or as he believed it to be – to end.

"Here's the truth, Mako," she continued, smirking almost devilishly. "You love me, and as much as you try to stop loving me, you can't … because your love for me is deeper than you possibly know."

Absolutely infuriated, Mako thrust a fist of fire at the hallucination, screaming, "SHUT UP! I've had enough of you! We are _over!_ You're _nothing_ to me! Just a face that I never want to see again!" He grabbed a nearby object from the nightstand, throwing it towards Korra, as he shouted, "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

Shards of glass scattered across the bedroom floor, the image of Korra slowly disappearing. His heart beat fast in his anger, and he heaved greatly as he tried to catch his breath. The hallucination had left, but he couldn't help but feel he was being watched. Turning his head to the doorway, his face paled as Asami stood in the door completely shocked and dumbstruck. He wasn't sure what was going through her mind at the moment, but surely he knew that he must have appeared insane screaming at nothing. The girl had simply came to check up on him and how he felt of the room, but she was not prepared for the scene that had just transpired.

As Mako got off the bed, he attempted to explain what she had seen, but Asami proved quicker than him as she entered the room. She gently pushed Mako back to the bed, and instructed, "You need to sleep. We'll talk later, so don't say anymore." Hearing the worry that filled the young woman's voice, Mako said nothing else and slipped under the bed covers. Having turned off the lights, Asami left the room, giving Mako a short glance of concern before shutting the door.

* * *

Bolin and Korra, now within Republic City, were unsure as to where to start their search. The earthbender had no clue where his brother might be, and Korra was aware that this was not going to be an easy task. As she had mentioned to Bolin beforehand, Republic City was massive, and finding one person was close to impossible. Normally, she would be gung-ho about this, but after all that's happened, her strength was nearly depleted. But seeing her friend's fire and determination to find his missing brother had Korra more confident.

Bolin's first idea was to inform the police of the matter, but Korra immediately shot it down as she informed him that the police would not send out a search party for someone who had not gone missing for 24 hours. He then decided to ask random strangers if they had seen the young firebender, but surprisingly the teenager was terrible at describing his own brother. Korra was frustrated, to say the least, and knew that they were getting nowhere. She leaned against a building, arms crossed as she began to contemplate a better strategy or a clue as to Mako's whereabouts.

"This isn't working," Bolin frowned as he approached his friend. "Explaining what my brother looks like over and over again is tiring."

"We need a picture of Mako," she wrote, "but I don't think we have one. The newspapers probably took a picture of him when he was on the Fire Ferrets, but those newspapers are long gone by now."

The Avatar raised an eyebrow at the young earthbender as he stood gawking at the small notebook and pencil in her hands. Quickly, he snatched the objects from her, drawing what Korra guessed to be the earthbender's older brother.

"Ta-dah! It's Mako!" Bolin beamed, showing the sketch to the Avatar who was less than impressed.

_What _is_ that? That looks nothing like him,_ Korra thought. _If he shows that to anyone, no one will take us seriously._ The girl stole her notebook and pencil back from Bolin, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Then, what should we do?" the earthbender questioned desperately.

After a moment of thought, Korra suggested, "We should go to the places he might be in. It'd be better if we split up, that way our chances of finding him are doubled."

"Ok," Bolin nodded in agreement. Before the two commenced with the plan, Bolin told his friend, "Y'know … Mako must really love you to act like this." A tiny smile crept on the young waterbender's face. The thought had not dawned on her, but this now gave her small hope: that Mako's feelings for her were unchanged and actually quite strong.

"Good luck," the earthbender said, and the two clasped hands. They separated and began their search in opposite directions, hope their only drive.

* * *

After several hours, Mako awoke from his sleep, but not as well-rested as he hoped he'd be. He had not dreamed, which he was thankful for, as dreams would show him false reality, and nightmares would show him his worst fears. He was glad that he was no longer hallucinating, and his mind a bit clearer and less foggy. His memory, however, was still intact and he wished sleep had eased his depression.

He made his way to the bathroom, washing away the sleep from his eyes and face. He examined himself in the mirror, but all he saw was a dampened spirit and an exhausted soul. He left the restroom, thinking nothing of his appearance, and worrying more of how he was going to explain what Asami saw in the bedroom. He scratched the back of his head, sighing, hoping she wouldn't ask. However, he knew that anyone, even Asami, would be curious of the reasons behind his actions after what he displayed in the room.

Coming down the stairs to the main hall, Mako saw his friend turn her head towards him as soon as she heard his footsteps. She was smiling, but he saw past her façade, as she was evidently filled with worry and concern.

"Did you sleep well?" the young woman asked, approaching him.

He answered with a simple, "Yeah," and said nothing else. He normally was not one to give one-word answers, but he had no desire to get into a conversation that would lead to explaining what she saw. As the room filled with awkward silence between the two, Mako's stomach growled with neglected hunger, which had Asami giggling.

"Hungry, Mako?" the young beauty joked with light sarcasm in her tone. "Hmm … " she hummed, staring at a nearby clock. "It's past twelve, so how about joining me for a late lunch?"

Every bit of him wished to decline the offer, but he was aware of how incredibly rude it would be to do so. Leaving his friend's house – or rather, mansion – after sleeping for a few hours (on a bed that was not his) and barely saying a word to her, would not be very civil. As his stomach growled once again, he released a sigh of defeat and said with a smile, "Sure, sounds good."

* * *

_It's been hours. I don't know where to look,_ the young Avatar thought to herself as she walked through downtown. The size of the city alone made it extremely difficult for one to find a single person. There were many places in Republic City that Korra had yet to explore, while the Fire Ferret Brothers, on the other hand, practically knew every nook and cranny of the large city, and memorized the roads as if they were memorizing the alphabet.

_He could be anywhere,_ she thought with slight despondency. _Bolin has a better chance of finding him … _She rested her hands behind her head, staring up at the sky. The day was growing gloomy as dark clouds began to take over the heavens.

_I gotta find him. He's in the city … Somewhere … _

She continued walking, hoping to spot that familiar face, his jet black hair and tall frame, his bright amber eyes, or even his red scarf. She ignored her growling stomach as finding Mako was her number one priority.

* * *

Having a meal served to one at the Sato Mansion – or any mansion, really – was elegant and quite an honor. Mako always felt like aristocracy eating the food presented to him, as the food was much too elegant for a commoner. However, at this moment, the firebender did not have this same feeling, and he only wished to leave as soon as possible. He hadn't noticed how hungry he truly was until he finished an entire plate of food in less than two minutes. Asami was amazed as to how fast Mako ate his food, and urged him to eat more. Again, hunger took over, and the young man requested another plate of food – but as a smaller portion than the first.

"You must be really hungry, Mako," the young woman giggled as she watched Mako finish off his second helping. "I'm not even done eating my first plate!" she laughed. "Didn't you eat yesterday?"

He shook his head. "I skipped dinner."

"And I'm guessing you skipped breakfast this morning too?"

With a solemn nod of his head, he answered, "Yeah."

Mako mindlessly poked at the remnants of the food on his plate with his chopsticks, his orange eyes glazed over as he recalled yesterday's evening. Though he sat across Asami within the brilliant and opulent dining room of the mansion, his mind and spirit was in a faraway place, lost in memory and regret. The raven-haired woman of high society noticed this, and her eyes saddened as worry once again took over her. She bit her lip, considering whether to be nosy and ask him what's wrong, or to not say a word and act as if she sees nothing different with her friend. She was more concerned than curious, and she knew that to sit back and do nothing was uncharacteristic of a true friend.

"Mako," she began slowly yet cautiously, "I've noticed that you're not yourself. Like I said before, I'm not stupid. Something happened, and it's really affecting you." Chills ran down the young woman's spine as the firebender shot a glance so cold and unexpected. She wasn't sure why he gave her such an icy glare, but without a doubt it was a look that read, "Stay away."

"I'm fine, Asami," the young man assured her.

"No. You're not. You're building up a wall around your heart, just like you told me you did when your parents passed away. Bottling up your feelings never works."

With slight annoyance in his tone, Mako replied, "This doesn't concern you. In fact, it's none of your business."

"It _does _concern me," Asami refuted in irritation, "when I see how poorly my close friend treats himself. You admitted to skipping dinner and breakfast; obviously, you didn't sleep all night or even returned home; and you were shouting at an invisible person in the bedroom." She paused and took in a small breath. "Listen. Just talk to me, Mako. I'm your friend, and I'm worried about you."

The two exchanged glances from across the small table, neither saying a word. The sudden pitter-patter of rain could be faintly heard as both teenagers remained silent.

Mako was aware as to how determined Asami was to have him speak, but he was still extremely hesitant. He knew that his frustration, dejection, and anger were being directed towards his friend, because – as Asami had aforementioned – he was putting a lid on his heart.

_She's right,_ Mako thought to himself. _Talking to her will probably help release some of my anger and frustration. And she's worried,_ he thought as he examined his friend closely. While the woman's face was steady and serious, her eyes revealed what she was truly feeling.

Mako exasperated a sigh, his features softening. "Alright," he started. "But it's sort of a long story.

"You remember Korra being in the hospital with a coma a couple of months ago, right?"

Asami nodded, her face saddened. "Yeah. She became mute when she finally woke up – it was in the newspapers. It's hard to even _think_ of Korra being mute."

"I know … It's difficult to say that it was all my fault." He refused to come eye to eye with his friend, and he lowered his head in remorse. Asami's eyes grew twice in size at this unfortunate new information. She remembered the newspapers had only mentioned the Avatar becoming mute, but the reasons behind it were unknown. Even when she had gone to visit Korra at the hospital, the doctors had not mentioned how it happened, nor did her friends – such as Tenzin and Bolin – who were present in the room with her.

How was it his fault, was Asami's biggest question. But, as it _was_ his fault, she was sure that Mako would not want to relive the horrible memory, and so she decided not to ask. Instead, she urged the young man to continue his story.

"I promised her and myself that I'd teach her how to speak again, but … there was another accident, and _that _wasn't reported in the newspapers." He recalled the wretched speeding motorcycle, the screams of passersby, the blood of his lover spread like spilled paint on the street, and Korra's cold and unmoving body as he held her helplessly in his hands.

"That accident was also my fault. So, as cruel and righteous punishment from the Spirits, Korra completely forgot me."

"Oh, Mako," Asami responded with sympathy, her hand covering her mouth in shock.

"After that," the firebender continued, heavyhearted, "I thought it was best to start over as friends and to stay that way. Obviously, that was a mistake, but I had only discovered that when it was too late. Some guy named Kaji," Mako spat with apparent jealousy, "asked Korra out yesterday, and from then on everything went downhill."

Curious, the heiress asked, "What did you do?" However, he didn't answer immediately as she would have preferred. The rain continued to pour outside as Mako thought how to respond, while Asami waited in anticipation for his answer. Remembering last night was painful, but there was no other way to explain what he had done.

Finally, he mumbled, "I attacked him."

Surprised, Asami half-shouted, "What?! Why would you do that? Were you that jealous?"

Tightening his hand into a fist, the firebender refrained himself from bursting out in anger. "It may have been because of that," he growled, "but that jerk was the son of the monster who killed my parents."

Asami couldn't suppress the quick and horrified gasp that escaped her lips.

"They were in the middle of their date in the park when I attacked him," Mako resumed, the scenes replaying in his mind as vividly as if it were happening before him. "I didn't kill him – one of my attacks blew him into one of the ponds. I grabbed Korra, but she was scared of me and she … glared at me with hate.

"I knew it was over, so I said goodbye and left. I never went home, so I wandered the city like a mindless doll. I never would've thought I could act this way about one girl," he sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Well," Asami began with a smile, "it's only natural when that _one girl_ is who you're deeply in love with."

"'Deeply in love?'" the man of golden eyes repeated, as if he doubted it himself.

"Of course," the woman said, taking a small sip from her tea. "You're not aware of it, but you're overprotective of her, and your tendency to get jealous is very high," she laughed. "And from the stories Korra's told me, it's not hard to see how much you love her."

"Stories? What stories? When?" he questioned apprehensively.

"Oh, she told me a lot," the heiress chuckled. "Before I became extremely busy at Future Industries, I used to invite Korra over just to spend some time with her. Hmmm …" she hummed, tapping a forefinger on her chin, as if in deep thought. "I think my favorite story she told was when you valiantly protected her from the sounds of the thunderstorm."

Slightly embarrassed, Mako turned his head to the side. "'Valiantly?' Is that how she told it? Anybody could've done what I did."

She laughed, amused at her friend's reaction. "Is that so? Either way, I thought it was sweet. You know, she was always so excited whenever she spoke about you. She loves you, Mako."

The firebender's face dropped, as well as his mood. Ignoring her last comment, he said, "I should get home; Bolin's probably worrying his head off."

"I'll drive you back," the girl suggested.

* * *

_I should've brought my parka,_ Korra thought as she shivered in the rain. With waterbending she created a water umbrella over her head to keep herself from getting wet. However, her waterbending couldn't protect her from the cold.

_What's wrong with me? I've been through snowstorms worse than this,_ she grunted to herself. _I must be getting weak …_

As much as her feet wanted to stop and rest, her mind, determination, and stubbornness would not allow it. On the other hand, she feared the rain would hamper her search, and make it that much more difficult to find Mako. The clouds grew dark and overtook the sky, blocking the afternoon sun. Korra dearly hoped the rainstorm wouldn't progress into a thunderstorm.

_Mako, where_ are_ you? _she asked, frustrated. She rested underneath an awning to take a small rest, her eyes closed as she listened to the droplets of water falling around her. As she slowly reopened her eyes, she jumped in surprise as her surroundings had changed completely. She was in a field of green, with foreign and unfamiliar flowers; the sky was bright and the air warm.

"You look distressed, young Avatar."

Korra quickly faced the owner of the voice, confused.

_Aang?_

"Hello, Korra," the man smiled, his uniform of orange and yellow unmistakable.

_Am I in the Spirit World?_ she wondered. And to her surprise, the wise airbender answered, "Yes, you are."

_How did I – Wait. You can hear me?_

"Telepathy," he said, tapping his head. "As we share the same spirit, essentially we have the same mind. But I can't read _all_ your thoughts. Something's troubling you. It seems you called me here for advice."

_I did? Ah, I'm sorry!_ she apologized, smacking her forehead with the butt of her palm in embarrassment. _I can't control some of my spiritual abilities yet, so I must've called you subconsciously. It's … It's nothing important. Just a teenage love problem,_ the 17 year old sighed.

"Love …" the airbending master repeated, as if reminiscing on past times. "Yes, as Avatar Roku once told me, 'Love is hard when you're young. But don't worry – it gets better.'"

_Yeah, well, my love problems have only gotten worse,_ the young waterbender pouted._ I just want to find Mako and turn everything back to normal. I don't want to give up, but there's a small part of me that's telling me it's all over and that I should call it quits._

"Love can be difficult and frustrating," Avatar Aang began with understanding, "and sometimes it can be more of a challenge to deal with than its opposite. Love and hate are equal burdens to bear. But don't be discouraged, Korra," he advised, his hand resting on the young woman's shoulder in comfort. "Love always finds a way, so you _will_ find your beloved. The only advice I can give you is this: everything is connected. Never forget."

The wise master's last words echoed in the air, his form fading as the surroundings returned to the physical world. The shower of rain had tripled in amount, whereas the number of people on the street had decreased by half. Korra was still standing in the same place, pondering the airbender's words.

'_Everything is connected'? I don't get it. What does that mean? How is that supposed to help me? Argh! I just don't understand this spiritual stuff!_

Believing Avatar Aang's words of wisdom were the key to finding Mako – and because she had no desire to search for the firebender in the pouring rain in vain – she repeated Aang's words over and over in her head to fully understand its true meaning. Eventually, she understood.

'_Everything is connected,' he said. Which means … which means every_one _is connected as well. Ok. Think like an airbender, Korra. Think spiritually …_

She rested her hand on the wet ground, her eyes glowing with spiritual energy and power as the Spirit of the Avatar surged within her. It was difficult to concentrate as her mind was clouded with doubts and thoughts, as well as the sound of rainfall and city noises. It was not long before she rose from the sidewalk, sprinting away in the rain.

_Found him._

* * *

"Thanks for the ride back, Asami."

The young heiress smiled. "No problem. But why did you want me to drop you off here? I could've driven a little farther. You'll get wet."

As Mako opened the car door, he said, "The arena's only a block away from here. The rain's not that bad anyway." He stepped out of the car, and onto the sidewalk, shutting the door behind him. He waved goodbye to his friend, and began his way back to the Probending Arena.

_Wonder what Bolin's gonna say when he sees me,_ he thought nervously. _No doubt he's worried, but maybe he won't say anything._

He stayed beneath the awnings of buildings to keep himself from getting wet, wishing he had asked Asami for an umbrella to borrow. He daydreamed of being near a warm fire, wrapped in the warmth of his blankets. He never cared for rain, nor did he appreciate the feeling of being soaked. He guessed many others felt the same, as there was practically no one on the streets or the sidewalks.

As he turned the corner, he ran into a face he least expected. He was wide-eyed and in slight horror as a pair of bright blue eyes stared back at him. Korra appeared out of breath, visible wisps of steam expelling from her mouth, and her body was drenched from head to toe. Getting a grip on himself, he pushed past the young Avatar, completely ignoring her existence. Unaffected by the firebender's actions, she grabbed his forearm from behind, hoping to get him to face her. He halted his footsteps, but he never moved to look at her.

He responded in a cool and bitter tone, "I don't know you," and he removed her hand from him, resuming his walk. Persistent, the dark-skinned young woman ran in front of Mako, her hands outstretched as she attempted to block any room for escape. The young man was visibly annoyed, but Korra wouldn't let that faze her. Mako had absolutely no idea what the girl was trying to say or what she wanted from him, but he was growing angry and seeing her only made him irritated.

"I have nothing else to say to you," he said harshly, his eyes glaring. "And apparently, neither do you."

Korra's arms fell to her sides, her spirit weakening as she was not expecting Mako to be like this. The firebender walked around her, wanting nothing to do with her anymore.

_No!_ she screamed within herself. _No, no, no, no, NO! He's here, but I – I can't tell him that I remember. I want to tell him. I _need_ to tell him. But it's all because I can't speak! I'm losing him! He's right here and I'm losing him!_

She spun around in haste, staring at Mako's back as he walked away.

_Idiot!_ she scolded herself. _Just say something! Anything!_

Her lips struggled to form a single word, strange and incomprehensible sounds coming from her mouth. Suddenly, she recalled the word she learned how to mouth perfectly months ago, but couldn't quite get her voice to speak the word. Tears began to fall from her frustration, but with her last burst of confidence and hope, she screamed simultaneously with the roar of thunder above her, "MAKO!"

The young man froze instantly, wondering if his ears had deceived him. Did she actually say his name, or was he simply losing his mind? As he turned to see her, the girl was sitting with her knees to her chest, trembling with fear, and her hands placed over her ears. The thunder had undoubtedly scared her, and he knew more than anyone how vulnerable and powerless she became during a thunderstorm.

He ran to her without a second thought, the young man at her side in a flash. He knelt in front of her, but Korra had failed to notice. He removed his scarf that was surprisingly dry, wrapping the red cloth around the girl's neck. She flinched from the sudden contact, lifting her misty eyes to meet his.

"M-Mako?" she whispered in disbelief.

There were several things Mako wished to say, but he chose to say, "I'm here. I'm not leaving you."

The man took her hand in his, guiding her to a dry place to shield them from the rain. They sat with their backs resting against the wall of a store, under a large awning, sitting closely beside one another. The firebender wrapped an arm around Korra, pulling her closer to share his warmth. Their hearts were one in unison, closely listening to the pelts of rain attacking the covering above them, as if it were pebbles dropping from the sky.

Strangely, Mako had remained silent, his eyes blankly staring at the view before him. After several minutes, he shifted his focus to Korra. Hesitant, he said what was on his mind.

"Do you … remember me?"

The young Avatar didn't respond right away, and Mako felt his heart drop. The dark-skinned woman raised her head, and shot him a grin. The young firebender wasn't sure how to feel, but this feeling of happiness was so overwhelming that he couldn't contain it, and he laughed and laughed. He wasn't sure why his first reaction was to laugh, but he did. He was ecstatic beyond words, and he couldn't stop smiling. He didn't care that he was freezing in the cold, or the fact that his fingers were growing numb; nothing else mattered. For the longest time, all he wanted was for her to remember him; finally, he got his wish. But above all, he just wanted to hear his name whispered, called, spoken, and shouted from her very lips once again.

Finally, she could say his name.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ I apologize for the long wait! I seriously feel terrible that you guys had to wait so long. But it's here now, so thank you all for your patience! :) Hopefully the (dreadful) wait was worth it._

_Well, it's the end folks! Truthfully, I never thought I'd finish it. (Phew!) I am contemplating about writing an epilogue, but that may or may not happen. But officially, "Say My Name" is finished! So, how do you feel? Happy? Sad? Disappointed? Satisfied?_

_Thanks for reading, everyone! :) Without you, I wouldn't have had the motivation to continue writing this. So long!_


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The aching in Mako's hand increased with each stroke, but he continued with his work. Even the small dent on his finger from the pressure of his pencil held tightly in his hand was ignored, but the small pain was still felt. He had every want and need to finish all his paperwork that very night, despite the heavy soreness growing in his wrist.

He never imagined police work to be so difficult, nor had he thought the paperwork to be so time-consuming. He snickered at the thought of telling Korra that his profession was actually much more demanding than hers as the Avatar, and he imagined the girl huffing and refuting that it's, in fact, exactly the opposite.

Once again that night he caught himself being distracted by the thought of Korra. The movement of his hand had stopped in mid-sentence, his pencil frozen above the paper.

He shook his head.

_Focus. Gotta finish this tonight,_ Mako thought, and resumed with his work.

A feeling of longing lay in the pit of his heart. Many weeks and months had passed since the two last saw one another, and the firebender frequently wondered what Korra was doing, if her speech was returning, or if she even thought of him at all. So much time had gone by that the absence of her was only making him think more of her. He desired to hug her, kiss her, and tell her "I love you", but neither had even seen the sight of one another in months. When he was on his day offs, Korra was gone; when Korra was free, Mako was out on police duty. Life was proving unfair for the young couple.

"Still here?"

Mako started at the sudden voice, and then let out a long sigh. He craned his head towards the familiar figure leaning languidly in the doorway. Chan blocked the opening to Mako's small office, a crooked grin plastered on his face. He wasn't the tallest man in the force, but his voice was strangely the most distinguishable for being the loudest. Mako never liked the sight of him, and to this day he wondered how a frivolous womanizer like Chan was even accepted into the police force. And what's worse, Chan seemed to stick around Mako more than the young firebender preferred. (Realizing that Mako's appearance alone and his reputation as a former Fire Ferret attracted young women, Chan continues to take advantage of the firebender's charms to surround himself around the ladies.)

"If sitting on my chair, at my desk, under the dim light of the desk light doesn't clue you that I'm here, then yes, Chan – I'm still here."

"Didn't your shift end an hour ago?" Chan asked. "If I were you, I'd be clocking out the second I'm free."

_Yeah, you'd do that,_ Mako grunted in his head.

"I just want to get all this paperwork out of the way, so that I won't have to worry about it," Mako replied and continued to his work. He heard the man's footsteps approaching, taking a seat in the chair in front of his desk. The firebender inwardly groaned knowing that the nuisance wouldn't take the hint and leave him to his busy work.

"Aren't you on duty?" Mako inquired.

Chan chuckled, stretching his limbs. "Yeah, but I don't clock out for another 5 minutes, or something like that."

Mako continued writing as he spoke. "Then, shouldn't you be doing something, like paperwork for instance?" _Instead of bothering me,_ he added in his head. "Use your time wisely, Chan. You'd be surprised at what you can get done in 5 minutes."

"True," Chan nodded in agreement. "But I'm so exhausted I don't have enough energy to write."

_You definitely have enough energy to run your mouth,_ Mako thought. _If Korra knew the people I was dealing with, she'd likely get a kick out of it._

Mako stopped as his eyes glanced back at his last sentence, having accidentally written Korra's name in place of another. Chan peeked at the paper, having read the name before Mako had thoroughly erased it.

" 'Korra?' " Chan asked aloud. "Got the Avatar on your mind?"

Mako sighed. "Yeah. Haven't seen her in a while."

"Are you friends with the Avatar? I mean, I know you guys were on the same Probending team –"

"She's my girlfriend."

The surprise in Chan's throat was unmistakable. "What?! You never told me that!"

Mako shrugged. "Guess it never crossed my mind to tell you."

"It's hard to believe."

Mako lifted his head. "What's so hard to believe?"

"I mean, sure the girl's got some status and a nice face, but you could've aimed a little higher."

Mako's grip around his pencil grew tighter, and his teeth grinded with a harsh sound. "What?"

"And wasn't there that whole accident that made her mute? Personally, I wouldn't date a single girl who I couldn't have a simple conversation wi –"

The pencil in Mako's hand snapped in two, and the threatening glare of warning the firebender sent to Chan made the man hold his tongue in fear.

"The clock chimed," Mako growled. "You can go home."

Chan left hurriedly out the door, leaving Mako alone to his work. The firebender exhaled an exasperated sigh, rubbing his tired face. His mind was no longer focused, so he planned to retire for the night. He rose from his chair, grabbing his red scarf that lay across the front and back of his seat, and picked up the broken pencil from his desk. He tossed the damaged object in the small garbage bin in his office, and flicked the light switch.

* * *

Daylight stung his weary eyes as he awoke the next morning in his and his brother's new apartment. He rubbed his eyelids, tilting his head to the wall clock in his room. He slept in, a perfect way to start his day-off. He forced himself out of bed, getting ready for the day. Having done the regular routine, he went to make himself a late breakfast. He still hadn't adjusted to eating alone in the mornings, as his brother – now captain of the Fire Ferrets – normally left early for Probending training. At these times, Mako longed for those Probending days, training alongside Bolin … and Korra, the girl who always found a way to get under his skin.

He stared out the window. He missed her so much that it hurt. While he loved his new apartment, it had something that it lacked: It didn't have the breathtaking view of Air Temple Island that the old attic of the Probending Arena possessed. Strangely, just one glance of the island rested his conscience, brought a smile on his face, and had him daydreaming of what Korra would be doing there.

He missed her; he needed to see her.

He quickly grabbed some loose change from the small desk near the front door, hoping it would be enough for a ferry ticket.

Mako walked around the island, searching for those distinct pair of bright blue eyes. He came across the three airbending children, but none of them knew of Korra's whereabouts. He even ran into Pema, but she did not know either.

"Is she at least somewhere on the island?" Mako asked her.

The woman shook her head. "Sorry, dear, but ever since she's been enhancing her airbending, she's been getting slippery. Korra disappears every now and again to who-knows-where. Perhaps she's still on the island."

The firebender sighed. "I'll wait for her then."

"All day?" Pema asked curiously.

The young man grinned. "She'll return eventually. And besides, I've got nothing else to do. The island's quieter than the city. I'll just hang around here for a little while, if that's not a problem."

She smiled. "No problem at all. You're invited to meals if you're ever hungry."

"Thanks," he said, and Pema left to return to her duties.

His hands in his pockets, he strolled along the stone pathways at a leisurely pace. He nodded his head a few times as a greeting to White Lotus members he passed by, hoping he would encounter that face he yearned to see.

The long path he followed eventually ended in a dead end at the Meditation Pavilion. He entered the small space, walking to the opposite side that had a clear view of the bay. He took care not to fall over the low railing that encompassed the pavilion, and he casually leaned against one of the pillars that held up the structure. He closed his eyes, smelling the salty breeze of the ocean, and feeling the soft wind brushing his face. If only Korra were here, sharing the tranquility of the moment with him.

His mind drifted into imaginary conversations he thought of having with his girlfriend, listening to her sentences word-for-word, and taking notice of the tone and emotion of her speech. He'd poke fun at her words, teasing her until that adorable pout formed on her face. He'd wrap an arm around her, telling her that he was only joking, and she'd lightly poke him in the ribs.

Nearly six months had gone by since the two could have a simple conversation. Could she speak now? Could words roll off her tongue normally and without frustration? It still pained him that her muteness was his doing, even after she had forgiven him numerous times. Hearing her talk naturally just as before would relieve the regret that lingered deep in his mind.

Suddenly, a strange flurry of wind blew from behind, causing his neck and shoulders to shiver. He didn't react, but he heard a stifled giggle from behind. He guessed it was one of the children, and ignored it. Again, he was hit with a breeze, much stronger than the last one, and yet another giggle. Turning to face the jokester, his breath caught in his throat as he saw a lop-sided grin and a pair of mischievous cerulean eyes that he knew all too well.

"Morning, Mako," she greeted sweetly before being captured in a tight hug, and swung around. Through laughter she said, "You're a lot happier to see me than I expected."

He set her feet on the ground, looking at her with disbelief. "Why wouldn't I be this happy to see you? It's been a long time."

"_Way_ too long," she agreed. She paused, and a small blush colored her cheeks. She stared at her boyfriend shyly, biting the bottom of her lip. "I've missed you."

He smiled. "I've missed you too."

There was a moment of cherished silence between the couple, staring deeply into the eyes of one another. Mako slowly lowered his head towards Korra, and the Avatar swiftly stood on her tiptoes, crashing her mouth on her boyfriend's. The kiss was as passionate, deep, and long as the one the two young lovers shared at the South Pole, but this one more meaningful and heartfelt.

As their lips finally parted, Mako asked, "So, your speech is back to normal?"

"Yeah. There's so much I want to tell you!"

From morning to evening, Mako spent the rest of his day-off lying in the lap of his girlfriend under the shade of the pavilion, listening carefully to the stories she eagerly shared. Her voice was like a soothing lullaby mixed with the waves of the bay crashing against the island's cliff, and the noisy rustling of the leaves of the autumn colored trees that surrounded them. The serenity was enough to lull him to sleep, and eventually he did so. The last thing his ears caught before he drifted into a deep sleep was Korra calling his name, and then a whisper of "Sweet dreams, Mako."

The Avatar sat quietly with her back against the railing, ruffling her boyfriend's hair, and watching the setting of the sun. Within minutes she nodded off, and the couple slept in the comfort of each other's company and warmth until early dawn. It was the best night's sleep Mako had had in a long while.

**.**

**The End**

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* * *

_**A/N: **__Hello, everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? __Months in fact, I believe._

_Well, this is truly the end, my readers. :) I thought it was appropriate to end this story with an epilogue. Fluff really isn't my thing, but I thought you guys (and especially Korra and Mako) deserved this after the terrible tragedies that occurred throughout this story. It's been a while since I've written LOK fanfics, so remembering their characters was difficult. (Also, I think my writing style may have changed a little …)_

_Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this story, from beginning to end. :) _


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